Genesis 37:1--42:38

Joseph’s Dreams

37:1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, ¹  in the land of Canaan. ² 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ³  was taking care of ⁴  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ⁵  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ⁶  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ⁷  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ⁸  because he was a son born to him late in life, ⁹  and he made a special ¹⁰  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ¹¹  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ¹²  they hated Joseph ¹³  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ¹⁴ 

37:5 Joseph ¹⁵  had a dream, ¹⁶  and when he told his brothers about it, ¹⁷  they hated him even more. ¹⁸  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ¹⁹  37:7 There we were, ²⁰  binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down ²¹  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ²²  They hated him even more ²³  because of his dream and because of what he said. ²⁴ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ²⁵  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ²⁶  he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 37:10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? ²⁷  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ²⁸  37:11 His brothers were jealous ²⁹  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ³⁰ 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ³¹  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ³²  Joseph replied. ³³  37:14 So Jacob ³⁴  said to him, “Go now and check on ³⁵  the welfare ³⁶  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ³⁷  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ³⁸  a man found him wandering ³⁹  in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 37:16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell ⁴⁰  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ⁴¹  for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers ⁴²  saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! ⁴³  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ⁴⁴  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ⁴⁵ 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ⁴⁶  from their hands, ⁴⁷  saying, ⁴⁸  “Let’s not take his life!” ⁴⁹  37:22 Reuben continued, ⁵⁰  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ⁵¹  (Reuben said this ⁵²  so he could rescue Joseph ⁵³  from them ⁵⁴  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ⁵⁵  of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ⁵⁶  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ⁵⁷  and saw ⁵⁸  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ⁵⁹  37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ⁶⁰  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ⁶¹  37:28 So when the Midianite ⁶²  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁶³  him ⁶⁴  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ⁶⁵  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ⁶⁶  He tore his clothes, 37:30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 37:31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat, ⁶⁷  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ⁶⁸  and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

37:33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ⁶⁹  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ⁷⁰  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ⁷¹  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ⁷²  So Joseph’s ⁷³  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ⁷⁴  in Egypt the Midianites ⁷⁵  sold Joseph ⁷⁶  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ⁷⁷ 

Judah and Tamar

38:1 At that time Judah left ⁷⁸  his brothers and stayed ⁷⁹  with an Adullamite man ⁸⁰  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ⁸¹  named Shua. ⁸²  Judah acquired her as a wife ⁸³  and had marital relations with her. ⁸⁴  38:3 She became pregnant ⁸⁵  and had a son. Judah named ⁸⁶  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ⁸⁷  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ⁸⁸ 

38:6 Judah acquired ⁸⁹  a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.

38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with ⁹⁰  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ⁹¹  up a descendant for your brother.” ⁹²  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ⁹³  would not be considered his. ⁹⁴  So whenever ⁹⁵  he had sexual relations with ⁹⁶  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ⁹⁷  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ⁹⁸  killed him too.

38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, ⁹⁹  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ¹⁰⁰  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ¹⁰¹  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ¹⁰²  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ¹⁰³  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ¹⁰⁴  to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because ¹⁰⁵  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ¹⁰⁶ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ¹⁰⁷  because she had covered her face. 38:16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come on! I want to have sex with you.” ¹⁰⁸  (He did not realize ¹⁰⁹  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ¹¹⁰  38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” ¹¹¹  38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. ¹¹²  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ¹¹³  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ¹¹⁴  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ¹¹⁵  but Hirah ¹¹⁶  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ¹¹⁷  “Where is the cult prostitute ¹¹⁸  who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 38:22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things ¹¹⁹  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ¹²⁰  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ¹²¹  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ¹²²  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ¹²³  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ¹²⁴  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ¹²⁵  Then she said, “Identify ¹²⁶  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ¹²⁷  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ¹²⁸  again.

38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 38:28 While she was giving birth, one child ¹²⁹  put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ¹³⁰  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ¹³¹  So he was named Perez. ¹³²  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ¹³³ 

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ¹³⁴  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ¹³⁵  purchased him from ¹³⁶  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ¹³⁷  and lived ¹³⁸  in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. ¹³⁹  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ¹⁴⁰  Potiphar appointed Joseph ¹⁴¹  overseer of his household and put him in charge ¹⁴²  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ¹⁴³  Potiphar ¹⁴⁴  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ¹⁴⁵  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹⁴⁶  in his house and in his fields. ¹⁴⁷  39:6 So Potiphar ¹⁴⁸  left ¹⁴⁹  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ¹⁵⁰  he gave no thought ¹⁵¹  to anything except the food he ate. ¹⁵² 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ¹⁵³  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ¹⁵⁴  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ¹⁵⁵  39:8 But he refused, saying ¹⁵⁶  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ¹⁵⁷  to his household with me here, ¹⁵⁸  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ¹⁵⁹  39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do ¹⁶⁰  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ¹⁶¹  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ¹⁶²  to her invitation to have sex with her. ¹⁶³ 

39:11 One day ¹⁶⁴  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ¹⁶⁵  were there in the house. 39:12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran ¹⁶⁶  outside. ¹⁶⁷  39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought ¹⁶⁸  in a Hebrew man ¹⁶⁹  to us to humiliate us. ¹⁷⁰  He tried to have sex with me, ¹⁷¹  but I screamed loudly. ¹⁷²  39:15 When he heard me raise ¹⁷³  my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”

39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 39:17 This is what she said to him: ¹⁷⁴  “That Hebrew slave ¹⁷⁵  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ¹⁷⁶  39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”

39:19 When his master heard his wife say, ¹⁷⁷  “This is the way ¹⁷⁸  your slave treated me,” ¹⁷⁹  he became furious. ¹⁸⁰  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ¹⁸¹  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ¹⁸² 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ¹⁸³  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ¹⁸⁴  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ¹⁸⁵  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ¹⁸⁶  with anything that was in Joseph’s ¹⁸⁷  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ¹⁸⁸  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ¹⁸⁹  offended ¹⁹⁰  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ¹⁹¹  the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. ¹⁹² 

They spent some time in custody. ¹⁹³  40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ¹⁹⁴  the same night. ¹⁹⁵  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ¹⁹⁶  40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. ¹⁹⁷  40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” ¹⁹⁸  40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹⁹⁹  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ²⁰⁰  to me.”

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ²⁰¹  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his ²⁰²  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ²⁰³ 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ²⁰⁴  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ²⁰⁵  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ²⁰⁶  when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me ²⁰⁷  when it goes well for you, and show ²⁰⁸  me kindness. ²⁰⁹  Make mention ²¹⁰  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ²¹¹  40:15 for I really was kidnapped ²¹²  from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ²¹³  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ²¹⁴  on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent ²¹⁵  three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you ²¹⁶  and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” ²¹⁷  the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ²¹⁸  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. ²¹⁹  40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ²²⁰ 

Joseph’s Rise to Power

41:1 At the end of two full years ²²¹  Pharaoh had a dream. ²²²  As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, ²²³  and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ²²⁴  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ²²⁵  41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing ²²⁶  on one stalk, healthy ²²⁷  and good. 41:6 Then ²²⁸  seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. ²²⁹ 

41:8 In the morning he ²³⁰  was troubled, so he called for ²³¹  all the diviner-priests ²³²  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ²³³  but no one could interpret ²³⁴  them for him. ²³⁵  41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ²³⁶  41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker. 41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. ²³⁷  41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ²³⁸  of the captain of the guards, ²³⁹  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ²⁴⁰  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ²⁴¹  41:13 It happened just as he had said ²⁴²  to us – Pharaoh ²⁴³  restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” ²⁴⁴ 

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ²⁴⁵  Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ²⁴⁶  and there is no one who can interpret ²⁴⁷  it. But I have heard about you, that ²⁴⁸  you can interpret dreams.” ²⁴⁹  41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, ²⁵⁰  but God will speak concerning ²⁵¹  the welfare of Pharaoh.” ²⁵² 

41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing ²⁵³  by the edge of the Nile. 41:18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. ²⁵⁴  41:19 Then ²⁵⁵  seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows ²⁵⁶  as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven ²⁵⁷  fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, ²⁵⁸  no one would have known ²⁵⁹  that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 41:22 I also saw in my dream ²⁶⁰  seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then ²⁶¹  seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this ²⁶²  to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” ²⁶³ 

41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. ²⁶⁴  God has revealed ²⁶⁵  to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶⁶  41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. ²⁶⁷  41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ²⁶⁸  seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told ²⁶⁹  Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 41:30 But seven years of famine will occur ²⁷⁰  after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate ²⁷¹  the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered ²⁷²  because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. ²⁷³  41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ²⁷⁴  because the matter has been decreed ²⁷⁵  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ²⁷⁶ 

41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look ²⁷⁷  for a wise and discerning man ²⁷⁸  and give him authority ²⁷⁹  over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do ²⁸⁰  this – he should appoint ²⁸¹  officials ²⁸²  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ²⁸³  during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food ²⁸⁴  during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority ²⁸⁵  they should store up grain so the cities will have food, ²⁸⁶  and they should preserve it. ²⁸⁷  41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” ²⁸⁸ 

41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. ²⁸⁹  41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, ²⁹⁰  one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” ²⁹¹  41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ²⁹²  as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ²⁹³  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ²⁹⁴ 

41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place ²⁹⁵  you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” ²⁹⁶  41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen ²⁹⁷  clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh ²⁹⁸  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ²⁹⁹  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ³⁰⁰  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ³⁰¹  no one ³⁰²  will move his hand or his foot ³⁰³  in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. ³⁰⁴  He also gave him Asenath ³⁰⁵  daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ³⁰⁶  to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of ³⁰⁷  all the land of Egypt.

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ³⁰⁸  when he began serving ³⁰⁹  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ³¹⁰  Pharaoh and was in charge of ³¹¹  all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. ³¹²  41:48 Joseph ³¹³  collected all the excess food ³¹⁴  in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. ³¹⁵  In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, ³¹⁶  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. ³¹⁷  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. ³¹⁸  41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, ³¹⁹  saying, ³²⁰  “Certainly ³²¹  God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, ³²²  saying, ³²³  “Certainly ³²⁴  God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

41:53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, ³²⁵  just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 41:55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, ³²⁶  “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, ³²⁷  Joseph opened the storehouses ³²⁸  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country ³²⁹  came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt

42:1 When Jacob heard ³³⁰  there was grain in Egypt, he ³³¹  said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” ³³²  42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us ³³³  so that we may live ³³⁴  and not die.” ³³⁵ 

42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, ³³⁶  for he said, ³³⁷  “What if some accident ³³⁸  happens ³³⁹  to him?” 42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, ³⁴⁰  for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. ³⁴¹  Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down ³⁴²  before him with ³⁴³  their faces to the ground. 42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger ³⁴⁴  to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, “Where do you come from?” They answered, ³⁴⁵  “From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food.” ³⁴⁶ 

42:8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 42:9 Then Joseph remembered ³⁴⁷  the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!” ³⁴⁸ 

42:10 But they exclaimed, ³⁴⁹  “No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! 42:11 We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies.”

42:12 “No,” he insisted, “but you have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” ³⁵⁰  42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. ³⁵¹  We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, ³⁵²  and one is no longer alive.” ³⁵³ 

42:14 But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: ³⁵⁴  You are spies! 42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ³⁵⁵  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 42:16 One of you must go and get ³⁵⁶  your brother, while ³⁵⁷  the rest of you remain in prison. ³⁵⁸  In this way your words may be tested to see if ³⁵⁹  you are telling the truth. ³⁶⁰  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 42:17 He imprisoned ³⁶¹  them all for three days. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say ³⁶²  and you will live, ³⁶³  for I fear God. ³⁶⁴  42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison ³⁶⁵  while the rest of you go ³⁶⁶  and take grain back for your hungry families. ³⁶⁷  42:20 But you must bring ³⁶⁸  your youngest brother to me. Then ³⁶⁹  your words will be verified ³⁷⁰  and you will not die.” They did as he said. ³⁷¹ 

42:21 They said to one other, ³⁷²  “Surely we’re being punished ³⁷³  because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was ³⁷⁴  when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress ³⁷⁵  has come on us!” 42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” ³⁷⁶  42:23 (Now ³⁷⁷  they did not know that Joseph could understand them, ³⁷⁸  for he was speaking through an interpreter.) ³⁷⁹  42:24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, ³⁸⁰  he had Simeon taken ³⁸¹  from them and tied up ³⁸²  before their eyes.

42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill ³⁸³  their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. ³⁸⁴  42:26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. ³⁸⁵ 

42:27 When one of them ³⁸⁶  opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, ³⁸⁷  he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. ³⁸⁸  42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; ³⁸⁹  they turned trembling one to another ³⁹⁰  and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” ³⁹¹ 

42:29 They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, 42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us ³⁹²  as if we were ³⁹³  spying on the land. 42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies! 42:32 We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. ³⁹⁴  One is no longer alive, ³⁹⁵  and the youngest is with our father at this time ³⁹⁶  in the land of Canaan.’

42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain ³⁹⁷  for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know ³⁹⁸  that you are honest men and not spies. ³⁹⁹  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” ⁴⁰⁰ 

42:35 When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. 42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. ⁴⁰¹  Simeon is gone. ⁴⁰²  And now you want to take ⁴⁰³  Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may ⁴⁰⁴  put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care ⁴⁰⁵  and I will bring him back to you.” 42:38 But Jacob ⁴⁰⁶  replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. ⁴⁰⁷  If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair ⁴⁰⁸  in sorrow to the grave.” ⁴⁰⁹ 

Genesis 23:1

The Death of Sarah

23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. ⁴¹⁰ 

Numbers 18:1-6

Responsibilities of the Priests

18:1 ⁴¹¹ The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your tribe ⁴¹²  with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, ⁴¹³  and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

18:2 “Bring with you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may join ⁴¹⁴  with you and minister to you while ⁴¹⁵  you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 18:3 They must be responsible to care for you and to care for the entire tabernacle. However, they must not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die. 18:4 They must join ⁴¹⁶  with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person ⁴¹⁷  may approach you. 18:5 You will be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the care of the altar, so that there will be ⁴¹⁸  no more wrath on the Israelites. 18:6 I myself have chosen ⁴¹⁹  your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They are given to you as a gift from the Lord, to perform the duties ⁴²⁰  of the tent of meeting.

[37:1]  ¹ tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”

[37:1]  ² sn The next section begins with the heading This is the account of Jacob in Gen 37:2, so this verse actually forms part of the preceding section as a concluding contrast with Esau and his people. In contrast to all the settled and expanded population of Esau, Jacob was still moving about in the land without a permanent residence and without kings. Even if the Edomite king list was added later (as the reference to kings in Israel suggests), its placement here in contrast to Jacob and his descendants is important. Certainly the text deals with Esau before dealing with Jacob – that is the pattern. But the detail is so great in chap. 36 that the contrast cannot be missed.

[37:2]  ³ tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”

[37:2]  ⁴ tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”

[37:2]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.

[37:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”

[37:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.

[37:3]  ⁸ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.

[37:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”

[37:3]  ¹⁰ tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.

[37:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ¹² tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[37:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ¹⁷ sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.

[37:5]  ¹⁸ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”

[37:7]  ²⁰ tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”

[37:7]  ²¹ tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:8]  ²² tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”

[37:8]  ²³ tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ²⁴ sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness – they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.

[37:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.

[37:10]  ²⁷ sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.

[37:10]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”

[37:11]  ²⁹ sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.

[37:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[37:13]  ³¹ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ³² sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ³³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[37:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ³⁶ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ³⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.

[37:16]  ⁴⁰ tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”

[37:18]  ⁴² tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.

[37:20]  ⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.

[37:20]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[37:21]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ⁴⁷ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[37:22]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ⁵¹ sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.

[37:22]  ⁵² tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ⁵³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:23]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:24]  ⁵⁶ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[37:25]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.

[37:25]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[37:27]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28]  ⁶² sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ⁶³ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

[37:28]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:28]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:29]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.

[37:31]  ⁶⁷ sn It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.

[37:32]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.

[37:33]  ⁶⁹ sn A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.

[37:34]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

[37:35]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.

[37:35]  ⁷² tn Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.

[37:35]  ⁷³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ⁷⁴ tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36]  ⁷⁵ 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.”

[37:36]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ⁷⁷ sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.

[38:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “went down from.”

[38:1]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”

[38:1]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”

[38:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ⁸² tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).

[38:3]  ⁸⁶ tc Some mss read this verb as feminine, “she called,” to match the pattern of the next two verses. But the MT, “he called,” should probably be retained as the more difficult reading.

[38:5]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and she added again and she gave birth.” The first verb and the adverb emphasize that she gave birth once more.

[38:5]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”

[38:6]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and Judah took.”

[38:8]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ⁹¹ tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.

[38:8]  ⁹² sn Raise up a descendant for your brother. The purpose of this custom, called the levirate system, was to ensure that no line of the family would become extinct. The name of the deceased was to be maintained through this custom of having a child by the nearest relative. See M. Burrows, “Levirate Marriage in Israel,” JBL 59 (1940): 23-33.

[38:9]  ⁹³ tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.

[38:9]  ⁹⁵ tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.

[38:9]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.

[38:10]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “said.”

[38:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “Otherwise he will die, also he, like his brothers.”

[38:12]  ¹⁰¹ sn After some time. There is not enough information in the narrative to know how long this was. The text says “the days increased.” It was long enough for Shelah to mature and for Tamar to realize she would not have him.

[38:12]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

[38:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”

[38:13]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.

[38:14]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.

[38:14]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[38:15]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “he reckoned her for a prostitute,” which was what Tamar had intended for him to do. She obviously had some idea of his inclinations, or she would not have tried this risky plan.

[38:16]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “I will go to you.” The imperfect verbal form probably indicates his desire here. The expression “go to” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:16]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “for he did not know that.”

[38:16]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:17]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “until you send.”

[38:18]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:19]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.

[38:20]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.

[38:20]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

[38:20]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:21]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ¹¹⁸ sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.

[38:23]  ¹¹⁹ tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:23]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “we will become contemptible.” The Hebrew word בּוּז (buz) describes the contempt that a respectable person would have for someone who is worthless, foolish, or disreputable.

[38:24]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”

[38:24]  ¹²² tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.

[38:24]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”

[38:25]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “she was being brought out and she sent.” The juxtaposition of two clauses, both of which place the subject before the predicate, indicates synchronic action.

[38:25]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “who these to him.”

[38:25]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “ recognize; note.” This same Hebrew verb (נָכַר, nakhar) is used at the beginning of v. 26, where it is translated “recognized.”

[38:26]  ¹²⁷ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

[38:26]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:28]  ¹²⁹ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”

[38:29]  ¹³² sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.

[38:30]  ¹³³ sn Perhaps the child was named Zerah because of the scarlet thread. Though the Hebrew word used for “scarlet thread” in v. 28 is not related to the name Zerah, there is a related root in Babylonian and western Aramaic that means “scarlet” or “scarlet thread.” In Hebrew the name appears to be derived from a root meaning “to shine.” The name could have originally meant something like “shining one” or “God has shined.” Zerah became the head of a tribe (Num 26:20) from whom Achan descended (Josh 7:1).

[39:1]  ¹³⁴ tn The disjunctive clause resumes the earlier narrative pertaining to Joseph by recapitulating the event described in 37:36. The perfect verbal form is given a past perfect translation to restore the sequence of the narrative for the reader.

[39:1]  ¹³⁵ sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[39:2]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “and he was a prosperous man.” This does not mean that Joseph became wealthy, but that he was successful in what he was doing, or making progress in his situation (see 24:21).

[39:2]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and he was.”

[39:3]  ¹³⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:4]  ¹⁴⁰ sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.

[39:4]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[39:5]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ¹⁴⁵ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

[39:5]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ¹⁴⁷ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.

[39:6]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ¹⁴⁹ sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.

[39:6]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ¹⁵² sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.

[39:6]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:7]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:8]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he said.”

[39:8]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “know.”

[39:8]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:8]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:9]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

[39:10]  ¹⁶¹ tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator, followed by the infinitive construct with the preposition כְּ (kÿ). This clause could therefore be taken as temporal.

[39:10]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “listen to.”

[39:10]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:11]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “and it was about this day.”

[39:11]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “the men of the house.”

[39:12]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.

[39:12]  ¹⁶⁷ sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.

[39:14]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so it could be treated as a passive (“a Hebrew man was brought in”; cf. NIV). But it is clear from the context that her husband brought Joseph into the household, so Potiphar is the apparent referent here. Thus the translation supplies “my husband” as the referent of the unspecified pronominal subject of the verb (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[39:14]  ¹⁶⁹ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

[39:14]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “to make fun of us.” The verb translated “to humiliate us” here means to hold something up for ridicule, or to toy with something harmfully. Attempted rape would be such an activity, for it would hold the victim in contempt.

[39:14]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:14]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

[39:15]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “that I raised.”

[39:17]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”

[39:17]  ¹⁷⁵ sn That Hebrew slave. Now, when speaking to her husband, Potiphar’s wife refers to Joseph as a Hebrew slave, a very demeaning description.

[39:17]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “came to me to make fun of me.” The statement needs no explanation because of the connotations of “came to me” and “to make fun of me.” See the note on the expression “humiliate us” in v. 14.

[39:19]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”

[39:19]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “according to these words.”

[39:19]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “did to me.”

[39:19]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[39:20]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

[39:20]  ¹⁸² sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.

[39:21]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”

[39:21]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).

[39:22]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “all which they were doing there, he was doing.” This probably means that Joseph was in charge of everything that went on in the prison.

[39:23]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[40:1]  ¹⁸⁸ sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.

[40:1]  ¹⁸⁹ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ¹⁹⁰ sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.

[40:2]  ¹⁹¹ tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.

[40:4]  ¹⁹² sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.

[40:4]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “they were days in custody.”

[40:5]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[40:5]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”

[40:5]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”

[40:6]  ¹⁹⁷ tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.

[40:7]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”

[40:8]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

[40:8]  ²⁰⁰ tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:9]  ²⁰¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.

[40:11]  ²⁰² tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:11]  ²⁰³ sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.

[40:12]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “the three branches [are].”

[40:13]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”

[40:13]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “according to the former custom.”

[40:14]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.

[40:14]  ²⁰⁸ tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.

[40:14]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”

[40:14]  ²¹⁰ tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.

[40:14]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.

[40:15]  ²¹² tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.

[40:16]  ²¹³ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).

[40:18]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”

[40:19]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.

[40:20]  ²¹⁷ tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).

[40:21]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “his cupbearing.”

[40:22]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “had interpreted for them.”

[40:23]  ²²⁰ tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.

[41:1]  ²²¹ tn Heb “two years, days.”

[41:1]  ²²² tn Heb “was dreaming.”

[41:2]  ²²³ tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.

[41:3]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:5]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “coming up.”

[41:5]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “fat.”

[41:6]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:7]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “And look, a dream.”

[41:8]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[41:8]  ²³¹ tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.

[41:8]  ²³² tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.

[41:8]  ²³³ tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).

[41:8]  ²³⁴ tn “there was no interpreter.”

[41:8]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:9]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).

[41:11]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”

[41:12]  ²³⁸ tn Or “slave.”

[41:12]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.

[41:12]  ²⁴⁰ tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:12]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”

[41:13]  ²⁴² tn Heb “interpreted.”

[41:13]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:13]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:14]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.

[41:15]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[41:15]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”

[41:15]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “saying.”

[41:15]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”

[41:16]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “not within me.”

[41:16]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “God will answer.”

[41:16]  ²⁵² tn The expression שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה (shÿlom par’oh) is here rendered “the welfare of Pharaoh” because the dream will be about life in his land. Some interpret it to mean an answer of “peace” – one that will calm his heart, or give him the answer that he desires (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[41:17]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph; but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.

[41:18]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and look, from the Nile seven cows were coming up, fat of flesh and attractive of appearance, and they grazed in the reeds.”

[41:19]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:19]  ²⁵⁶ tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:20]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”

[41:21]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “when they went inside them.”

[41:21]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “it was not known.”

[41:22]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”

[41:23]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:24]  ²⁶² tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:24]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”

[41:25]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”

[41:25]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “declared.”

[41:25]  ²⁶⁶ tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.

[41:26]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “one dream it is.”

[41:27]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”

[41:28]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”

[41:30]  ²⁷⁰ tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.

[41:30]  ²⁷¹ tn The Hebrew verb כָּלָה (kalah) in the Piel stem means “to finish, to destroy, to bring an end to.” The severity of the famine will ruin the land of Egypt.

[41:31]  ²⁷² tn Heb “known.”

[41:31]  ²⁷³ tn Or “heavy.”

[41:32]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”

[41:32]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “established.”

[41:32]  ²⁷⁶ tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.

[41:33]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:33]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:33]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “and let him set him.”

[41:34]  ²⁸⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”

[41:34]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:34]  ²⁸² tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.

[41:34]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.

[41:35]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:35]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”

[41:35]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.

[41:35]  ²⁸⁷ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.

[41:36]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”

[41:37]  ²⁸⁹ tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”

[41:38]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “like this,” but the referent could be misunderstood to be a man like that described by Joseph in v. 33, rather than Joseph himself. For this reason the proper name “Joseph” has been supplied in the translation.

[41:38]  ²⁹¹ tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”

[41:39]  ²⁹² tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:40]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.

[41:40]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”

[41:41]  ²⁹⁵ tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”

[41:41]  ²⁹⁶ sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.

[41:42]  ²⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.

[41:43]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:43]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

[41:43]  ³⁰⁰ tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).

[41:44]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “apart from you.”

[41:44]  ³⁰² tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

[41:44]  ³⁰³ tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

[41:45]  ³⁰⁴ sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] áIp-àankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 1262).

[41:45]  ³⁰⁵ sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph – a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.

[41:45]  ³⁰⁶ sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[41:45]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he passed through.”

[41:46]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”

[41:46]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “when he stood before.”

[41:46]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “went out from before.”

[41:46]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”

[41:47]  ³¹² tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”

[41:48]  ³¹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:48]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:48]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”

[41:49]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.

[41:50]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”

[41:50]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “gave birth for him.”

[41:51]  ³¹⁹ sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.

[41:51]  ³²⁰ tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:51]  ³²¹ tn Or “for.”

[41:52]  ³²² sn The name Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם, ’efrayim), a form of the Hebrew verb פָּרָה (parah), means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hos 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be a dual, for which F. Delitzsch simply said it meant “double fruitfulness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:305). G. J. Spurrell suggested it was a diphthongal pronunciation of a name ending in -an or -am, often thought to be dual suffixes (Notes on the text of the book of Genesis, 334). Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” (C. Fontinoy, “Les noms de lieux en -ayim dans la Bible,” UF 3 [1971]: 33-40). The dual would then be an old locative ending. There is no doubt that the name became attached to the land in which the tribe settled, and it is possible that is where the dual ending came from, but in this story it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness.

[41:52]  ³²³ tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:52]  ³²⁴ tn Or “for.”

[41:54]  ³²⁵ tn Heb “began to arrive.”

[41:55]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.

[41:56]  ³²⁷ tn Or “over the entire land”; Heb “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.

[41:56]  ³²⁸ tc The MT reads “he opened all that was in [or “among”] them.” The translation follows the reading of the LXX and Syriac versions.

[41:57]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “all the earth,” which refers here (by metonymy) to the people of the earth. Note that the following verb is plural in form, indicating that the inhabitants of the earth are in view.

[42:1]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “saw.”

[42:1]  ³³¹ tn Heb “Jacob.” Here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:1]  ³³² sn Why are you looking at each other? The point of Jacob’s question is that his sons should be going to get grain rather than sitting around doing nothing. Jacob, as the patriarch, still makes the decisions for the whole clan.

[42:2]  ³³³ tn Heb “and buy for us from there.” The word “grain,” the direct object of “buy,” has been supplied for clarity, and the words “from there” have been omitted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:2]  ³³⁴ tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.

[42:2]  ³³⁵ tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.

[42:4]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “But Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, Jacob did not send with his brothers.” The disjunctive clause highlights the contrast between Benjamin and the other ten.

[42:4]  ³³⁷ tn The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) could also be translated “thought” (i.e., “he said to himself”) here, giving Jacob’s reasoning rather than spoken words.

[42:4]  ³³⁸ tn The Hebrew noun אָסוֹן (’ason) is a rare word meaning “accident, harm.” Apart from its use in these passages it occurs in Exodus 21:22-23 of an accident to a pregnant woman. The term is a rather general one, but Jacob was no doubt thinking of his loss of Joseph.

[42:4]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “encounters.”

[42:5]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”

[42:6]  ³⁴¹ tn The disjunctive clause either introduces a new episode in the unfolding drama or provides the reader with supplemental information necessary to understanding the story.

[42:6]  ³⁴² sn Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him. Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see Gen 37). But it is not the complete fulfillment, since all his brothers and his parents must come. The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).

[42:6]  ³⁴³ tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.

[42:7]  ³⁴⁴ sn But pretended to be a stranger. Joseph intends to test his brothers to see if they have changed and have the integrity to be patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He will do this by putting them in the same situations that they and he were in before. The first test will be to awaken their conscience.

[42:7]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “said.”

[42:7]  ³⁴⁶ tn The verb is denominative, meaning “to buy grain”; the word “food” could simply be the direct object, but may also be an adverbial accusative.

[42:9]  ³⁴⁷ sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.

[42:9]  ³⁴⁸ tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”

[42:10]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “and they said to him.” In context this is best understood as an exclamation.

[42:12]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘No, for the nakedness of the land you have come to see.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for clarity.

[42:13]  ³⁵¹ tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”

[42:13]  ³⁵² tn Heb “today.”

[42:13]  ³⁵³ tn Heb “and the one is not.”

[42:14]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “to you, saying.”

[42:15]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”

[42:16]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.

[42:16]  ³⁵⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.

[42:16]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “bound.”

[42:16]  ³⁵⁹ tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:16]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”

[42:17]  ³⁶¹ sn The same Hebrew word is used for Joseph’s imprisonment in 40:3, 4, 7. There is some mirroring going on in the narrative. The Hebrew word used here (אָסַף, ’asaf, “to gather”) is not normally used in a context like this (for placing someone in prison), but it forms a wordplay on the name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yosoef) and keeps the comparison working.

[42:18]  ³⁶² tn Heb “Do this.”

[42:18]  ³⁶³ tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.

[42:18]  ³⁶⁴ sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.

[42:19]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”

[42:19]  ³⁶⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.

[42:19]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”

[42:20]  ³⁶⁸ tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

[42:20]  ³⁶⁹ tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

[42:20]  ³⁷⁰ tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

[42:20]  ³⁷¹ tn Heb “and they did so.”

[42:21]  ³⁷² tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”

[42:21]  ³⁷³ tn Or “we are guilty”; the Hebrew word can also refer to the effect of being guilty, i.e., “we are being punished for guilt.”

[42:21]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”

[42:21]  ³⁷⁵ sn The repetition of the Hebrew noun translated distress draws attention to the fact that they regard their present distress as appropriate punishment for their refusal to ignore their brother when he was in distress.

[42:22]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “and also his blood, look, it is required.” God requires compensation, as it were, from those who shed innocent blood (see Gen 9:6). In other words, God exacts punishment for the crime of murder.

[42:23]  ³⁷⁷ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[42:23]  ³⁷⁸ tn “was listening.” The brothers were not aware that Joseph could understand them as they spoke the preceding words in their native language.

[42:23]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “for [there was] an interpreter between them.” On the meaning of the word here translated “interpreter” see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ and M. A. Canney, “The Hebrew melis (Prov IX 12; Gen XLII 2-3),” AJSL 40 (1923/24): 135-37.

[42:24]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he turned to them and spoke to them.”

[42:24]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “took Simeon.” This was probably done at Joseph’s command, however; the grand vizier of Egypt would not have personally seized a prisoner.

[42:24]  ³⁸² tn Heb “and he bound him.” See the note on the preceding verb “taken.”

[42:25]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “and they filled.” The clause appears to be elliptical; one expects “Joseph gave orders to fill…and they filled.” See GKC 386 §120.f.

[42:25]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he did for them so.” Joseph would appear to be the subject of the singular verb. If the text is retained, the statement seems to be a summary of the preceding, more detailed statement. However, some read the verb as plural, “and they did for them so.” In this case the statement indicates that Joseph’s subordinates carried out his orders. Another alternative is to read the singular verb as passive (with unspecified subject), “and this was done for them so” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[42:26]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “and they went from there.”

[42:27]  ³⁸⁶ tn Heb “and the one.” The article indicates that the individual is vivid in the mind of the narrator, yet it is not important to identify him by name.

[42:27]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “at the lodging place.”

[42:27]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “and look, it [was] in the mouth of his sack.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to look through the eyes of the character and thereby draws attention to the money.

[42:28]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “and their heart went out.” Since this expression is used only here, the exact meaning is unclear. The following statement suggests that it may refer to a sudden loss of emotional strength, so “They were dismayed” adequately conveys the meaning (cf. NRSV); NIV has “Their hearts sank.”

[42:28]  ³⁹⁰ tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”

[42:28]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.

[42:30]  ³⁹² tn Heb “made us.”

[42:30]  ³⁹³ tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:32]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”

[42:32]  ³⁹⁵ tn Heb “the one is not.”

[42:32]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “today.”

[42:33]  ³⁹⁷ tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:34]  ³⁹⁸ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

[42:34]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

[42:34]  ⁴⁰⁰ sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.

[42:36]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ⁴⁰³ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.

[42:37]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.

[42:37]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “my hand.”

[42:38]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[42:38]  ⁴⁰⁷ sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.

[42:38]  ⁴⁰⁸ sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.

[42:38]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[23:1]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”

[18:1]  ⁴¹¹ sn This chapter and the next may have been inserted here to explain how the priests are to function because in the preceding chapter Aaron’s position was affirmed. The chapter seems to fall into four units: responsibilities of priests (vv. 1-7), their portions (vv. 8-19), responsibilities of Levites (vv. 20-24), and instructions for Levites (vv. 25-32).

[18:1]  ⁴¹² tn Heb “your father’s house.”

[18:1]  ⁴¹³ sn The responsibility for the sanctuary included obligations relating to any violation of the sanctuary. This was stated to forestall any further violations of the sanctuary. The priests were to pay for any ritual errors, primarily if any came too near. Since the priests and Levites come near all the time, they risk violating ritual laws more than any. So, with the great privileges come great responsibilities. The bottom line is that they were responsible for the sanctuary.

[18:2]  ⁴¹⁴ sn The verb forms a wordplay on the name Levi, and makes an allusion to the naming of the tribe Levi by Leah in the book of Genesis. There Leah hoped that with the birth of Levi her husband would be attached to her. Here, with the selection of the tribe to serve in the sanctuary, there is the wordplay again showing that the Levites will be attached to Aaron and the priests. The verb is יִלָּווּ (yillavu), which forms a nice wordplay with Levi (לֵוִי). The tribe will now be attached to the sanctuary. The verb is the imperfect with a vav (ו) that shows volitive sequence after the imperative, here indicating a purpose clause.

[18:2]  ⁴¹⁵ tn The clause is a circumstantial clause because the disjunctive vav (ו) is on a nonverb to start the clause.

[18:4]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Now the sentence uses the Niphal perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive from the same root לָוָה (lavah).

[18:4]  ⁴¹⁷ tn The word is “stranger, alien,” but it can also mean Israelites here.

[18:5]  ⁴¹⁸ tn The clause is a purpose clause, and the imperfect tense a final imperfect.

[18:6]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “taken.”

[18:6]  ⁴²⁰ tn The infinitive construct in this sentence is from עָבַד (’avad), and so is the noun that serves as its object: to serve the service.