Discovery BoxGenesis 41:1--43:34
Context41:1 At the end of two full years 1 Pharaoh had a dream. 2 As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, 3 and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, 4 and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. 5 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 6 on one stalk, healthy 7 and good. 41:6 Then 8 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. 9
41:8 In the morning he 10 was troubled, so he called for 11 all the diviner-priests 12 of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, 13 but no one could interpret 14 them for him. 15 41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. 16 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. 17 41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant 18 of the captain of the guards, 19 was with us there. We told him our dreams, 20 and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. 21 41:13 It happened just as he had said 22 to us – Pharaoh 23 restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” 24
41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned 25 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, 26 and there is no one who can interpret 27 it. But I have heard about you, that 28 you can interpret dreams.” 29 41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, 30 but God will speak concerning 31 the welfare of Pharaoh.” 32
41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing 33 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. 34 41:19 Then 35 seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows 36 as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven 37 fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, 38 no one would have known 39 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 40 seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then 41 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 42 to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” 43
41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. 44 God has revealed 45 to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 46 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. 47 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 48 seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told 49 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 50 after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate 51 the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered 52 because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. 53 41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh 54 because the matter has been decreed 55 by God, and God will make it happen soon. 56
41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look 57 for a wise and discerning man 58 and give him authority 59 over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do 60 this – he should appoint 61 officials 62 throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt 63 during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food 64 during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority 65 they should store up grain so the cities will have food, 66 and they should preserve it. 67 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.” 68
41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. 69 41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, 70 one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” 71 41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning 72 as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. 73 Only I, the king, will be greater than you. 74
41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place 75 you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” 76 41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen 77 clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh 78 had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, 79 and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” 80 So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission 81 no one 82 will move his hand or his foot 83 in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. 84 He also gave him Asenath 85 daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, 86 to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of 87 all the land of Egypt.
41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old 88 when he began serving 89 Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by 90 Pharaoh and was in charge of 91 all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. 92 41:48 Joseph 93 collected all the excess food 94 in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. 95 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, 96 until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.
41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. 97 Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. 98 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, 99 saying, 100 “Certainly 101 God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, 102 saying, 103 “Certainly 104 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, 105 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, 106 “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, 107 Joseph opened the storehouses 108 and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country 109 came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.
42:1 When Jacob heard 110 there was grain in Egypt, he 111 said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” 112 42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us 113 so that we may live 114 and not die.” 115
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, 116 for he said, 117 “What if some accident 118 happens 119 to him?” 42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, 120 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. 121 Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down 122 before him with 123 their faces to the ground. 42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger 124 to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, “Where do you come from?” They answered, 125 “From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food.” 126
42:8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 42:9 Then Joseph remembered 127 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!” 128
42:10 But they exclaimed, 129 “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.” 130 42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. 131 We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, 132 and one is no longer alive.” 133
42:14 But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: 134 You are spies! 42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, 135 you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 42:16 One of you must go and get 136 your brother, while 137 the rest of you remain in prison. 138 In this way your words may be tested to see if 139 you are telling the truth. 140 If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 42:17 He imprisoned 141 them all for three days. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say 142 and you will live, 143 for I fear God. 144 42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison 145 while the rest of you go 146 and take grain back for your hungry families. 147 42:20 But you must bring 148 your youngest brother to me. Then 149 your words will be verified 150 and you will not die.” They did as he said. 151
42:21 They said to one other, 152 “Surely we’re being punished 153 because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was 154 when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress 155 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!” 156 42:23 (Now 157 they did not know that Joseph could understand them, 158 for he was speaking through an interpreter.) 159 42:24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, 160 he had Simeon taken 161 from them and tied up 162 before their eyes.
42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill 163 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. 164 42:26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. 165
42:27 When one of them 166 opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, 167 he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 168 42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; 169 they turned trembling one to another 170 and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” 171
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 172 as if we were 173 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. 174 One is no longer alive, 175 and the youngest is with our father at this time 176 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 177 for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know 178 that you are honest men and not spies. 179 Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” 180
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. 181 Simeon is gone. 182 And now you want to take 183 Benjamin! Everything is against me.”
42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may 184 put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care 185 and I will bring him back to you.” 42:38 But Jacob 186 replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. 187 If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair 188 in sorrow to the grave.” 189
43:1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 190 43:2 When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Return, buy us a little more food.”
43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned 191 us, ‘You will not see my face 192 unless your brother is with you.’ 43:4 If you send 193 our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. 43:5 But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
43:6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble 194 on me by telling 195 the man you had one more brother?”
43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us 196 thoroughly 197 about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ 198 So we answered him in this way. 199 How could we possibly know 200 that he would say, 201 ‘Bring your brother down’?”
43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. 202 Then we will live 203 and not die – we and you and our little ones. 43:9 I myself pledge security 204 for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 205 43:10 But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back 206 twice by now!”
43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 43:12 Take double the money with you; 207 you must take back 208 the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks – perhaps it was an oversight. 43:13 Take your brother too, and go right away 209 to the man. 210 43:14 May the sovereign God 211 grant you mercy before the man so that he may release 212 your other brother 213 and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.” 214
43:15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt 215 and stood before Joseph. 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, “Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.” 43:17 The man did just as Joseph said; he 216 brought the men into Joseph’s house. 217
43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of 218 the money that was returned in our sacks last time. 219 He wants to capture us, 220 make us slaves, and take 221 our donkeys!” 43:19 So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 43:20 They said, “My lord, we did indeed come down 222 the first time 223 to buy food. 43:21 But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money – the full amount 224 – in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it. 225 43:22 We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the money in our sacks!”
43:23 “Everything is fine,” 226 the man in charge of Joseph’s household told them. “Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. 227 I had your money.” 228 Then he brought Simeon out to them.
43:24 The servant in charge 229 brought the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys. 43:25 They got their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival 230 at noon, for they had heard 231 that they were to have a meal 232 there.
43:26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, 233 and they bowed down to the ground before him. 43:27 He asked them how they were doing. 234 Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?” 43:28 “Your servant our father is well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” They bowed down in humility. 235
43:29 When Joseph looked up 236 and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 237 43:30 Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother 238 and was at the point of tears. 239 So he went to his room and wept there.
43:31 Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said, 240 “Set out the food.” 43:32 They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, 241 and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting 242 to do so.) 243 43:33 They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. 244 The men looked at each other in astonishment. 245 43:34 He gave them portions of the food set before him, 246 but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk. 247
Matthew 9:23-26
Context9:23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd, 9:24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him. 248 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 9:26 And the news of this spread throughout that region. 249
Mark 5:35-43
Context5:35 While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s 250 house saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?” 5:36 But Jesus, paying no attention to what was said, told the synagogue ruler, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” 5:37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, 251 and John, the brother of James. 5:38 They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where 252 he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. 253 5:39 When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 5:40 And they began making fun of him. 254 But he put them all outside 255 and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions 256 and went into the room where the child was. 257 5:41 Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” 5:42 The girl got up at once and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this. 258 5:43 He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, 259 and told them to give her something to eat.
[41:1] 1 tn Heb “two years, days.”
[41:1] 2 tn Heb “was dreaming.”
[41:2] 3 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] 4 tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”
[41:3] 5 tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:7] 9 tn Heb “And look, a dream.”
[41:8] 10 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[41:8] 11 tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.
[41:8] 12 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] 13 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] 14 tn “there was no interpreter.”
[41:8] 15 tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:9] 16 tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).
[41:11] 17 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] 19 tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.
[41:12] 20 tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:12] 21 tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”
[41:13] 22 tn Heb “interpreted.”
[41:13] 23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:13] 24 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:14] 25 tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.
[41:15] 26 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
[41:15] 27 tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”
[41:15] 29 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] 30 tn Heb “not within me.”
[41:16] 31 tn Heb “God will answer.”
[41:16] 32 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] 33 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] 34 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] 36 tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:20] 37 tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”
[41:21] 38 tn Heb “when they went inside them.”
[41:21] 39 tn Heb “it was not known.”
[41:22] 40 tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”
[41:24] 42 tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:24] 43 tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”
[41:25] 44 tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”
[41:25] 46 tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.
[41:26] 47 tn Heb “one dream it is.”
[41:27] 48 tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”
[41:28] 49 tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”
[41:30] 50 tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.
[41:30] 51 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.
[41:32] 54 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] 55 tn Heb “established.”
[41:32] 56 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] 57 tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
[41:33] 58 tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:33] 59 tn Heb “and let him set him.”
[41:34] 60 tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”
[41:34] 61 tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
[41:34] 62 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] 63 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] 64 tn Heb “all the food.”
[41:35] 65 tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”
[41:35] 66 tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.
[41:35] 67 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.
[41:36] 68 tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”
[41:37] 69 tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”
[41:38] 70 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] 71 tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”
[41:39] 72 tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:40] 73 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] 74 tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”
[41:41] 75 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] 76 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] 77 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] 78 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:43] 79 tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”
[41:43] 80 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] 81 tn Heb “apart from you.”
[41:44] 82 tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.
[41:44] 83 tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.
[41:45] 84 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] 85 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] 86 sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.
[41:45] 87 tn Heb “and he passed through.”
[41:46] 88 tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”
[41:46] 89 tn Heb “when he stood before.”
[41:46] 90 tn Heb “went out from before.”
[41:46] 91 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] 92 tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”
[41:48] 93 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:48] 94 tn Heb “all the food.”
[41:48] 95 tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”
[41:49] 96 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] 97 tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”
[41:50] 98 tn Heb “gave birth for him.”
[41:51] 99 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] 100 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:52] 102 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] 103 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:54] 105 tn Heb “began to arrive.”
[41:55] 106 tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.
[41:56] 107 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] 108 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] 109 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] 111 tn Heb “Jacob.” Here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[42:1] 112 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] 113 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] 114 tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.
[42:2] 115 tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.
[42:4] 116 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] 117 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] 118 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] 119 tn Heb “encounters.”
[42:5] 120 tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”
[42:6] 121 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] 122 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] 123 tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.
[42:7] 124 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] 126 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] 127 sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.
[42:9] 128 tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”
[42:10] 129 tn Heb “and they said to him.” In context this is best understood as an exclamation.
[42:12] 130 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] 131 tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”
[42:13] 133 tn Heb “and the one is not.”
[42:14] 134 tn Heb “to you, saying.”
[42:15] 135 tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”
[42:16] 136 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] 137 tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.
[42:16] 139 tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[42:16] 140 tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”
[42:17] 141 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] 143 tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.
[42:18] 144 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] 145 tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”
[42:19] 146 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.
[42:19] 147 tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”
[42:20] 148 tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.
[42:20] 149 tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.
[42:20] 150 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] 151 tn Heb “and they did so.”
[42:21] 152 tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”
[42:21] 153 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] 154 tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”
[42:21] 155 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] 156 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] 157 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
[42:23] 158 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] 159 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] 160 tn Heb “and he turned to them and spoke to them.”
[42:24] 161 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] 162 tn Heb “and he bound him.” See the note on the preceding verb “taken.”
[42:25] 163 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] 164 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] 165 tn Heb “and they went from there.”
[42:27] 166 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] 167 tn Heb “at the lodging place.”
[42:27] 168 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] 169 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] 170 tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”
[42:28] 171 tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.
[42:30] 173 tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[42:32] 174 tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”
[42:32] 175 tn Heb “the one is not.”
[42:33] 177 tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[42:34] 178 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.
[42:34] 179 tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”
[42:34] 180 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] 183 tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.
[42:37] 184 tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.
[42:38] 186 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[42:38] 187 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] 188 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] 189 tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.
[43:1] 190 tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that is important to the storyline.
[43:3] 191 tn The infinitive absolute with the finite verb stresses the point. The primary meaning of the verb is “to witness; to testify.” It alludes to Joseph’s oath, which was tantamount to a threat or warning.
[43:3] 192 tn The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”
[43:4] 193 tn Heb “if there is you sending,” that is, “if you send.”
[43:6] 194 tn The verb may even have a moral connotation here, “Why did you do evil to me?”
[43:6] 195 tn The infinitive construct here explains how they brought trouble on Jacob.
[43:7] 196 tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[43:7] 197 tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.
[43:7] 198 sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.
[43:7] 199 tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”
[43:7] 200 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).
[43:7] 201 tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).
[43:8] 202 tn Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”
[43:8] 203 tn After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.
[43:9] 204 tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.
[43:9] 205 sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.
[43:10] 206 tn Heb “we could have returned.”
[43:12] 207 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[43:12] 208 tn Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.
[43:13] 209 tn Heb “arise, return,” meaning “get up and go back,” or “go back immediately.”
[43:13] 210 sn The man refers to the Egyptian official, whom the reader or hearer of the narrative knows is Joseph. In this context both the sons and Jacob refer to him simply as “the man” (see vv. 3-7).
[43:14] 211 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
[43:14] 212 tn Heb “release to you.” After the jussive this perfect verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) probably indicates logical consequence, as well as temporal sequence.
[43:14] 213 sn Several Jewish commentators suggest that the expression your other brother refers to Joseph. This would mean that Jacob prophesied unwittingly. However, it is much more likely that Simeon is the referent of the phrase “your other brother” (see Gen 42:24).
[43:14] 214 tn Heb “if I am bereaved I am bereaved.” With this fatalistic sounding statement Jacob resolves himself to the possibility of losing both Benjamin and Simeon.
[43:15] 215 tn Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.
[43:17] 216 tn Heb “the man.” This has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.
[43:17] 217 sn This verse is a summary statement. The next verses delineate intermediate steps (see v. 24) in the process.
[43:18] 218 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[43:18] 219 tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.
[43:18] 220 tn Heb “to roll himself upon us and to cause himself to fall upon us.” The infinitives here indicate the purpose (as viewed by the brothers) for their being brought to Joseph’s house.
[43:18] 221 tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[43:20] 222 tn The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the finite verbal form.
[43:20] 223 tn Heb “in the beginning” (see the note on the phrase “last time” in v. 18).
[43:21] 224 tn Heb “in its weight.”
[43:21] 225 tn Heb “brought it back in our hand.”
[43:23] 226 tn Heb “and he said, ‘peace to you.’” Here the statement has the force of “everything is fine,” or perhaps even “calm down.” The referent of “he” (the man in charge of Joseph’ household) 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.
[43:23] 227 sn Your God and the God of your father…This is the first clear reference in the story to the theme of divine providence – that God works through the human actions to do his will.
[43:23] 228 tn Heb “your money came to me.”
[43:25] 230 tn The construction uses the infinitive construct after the preposition, followed by the subjective genitive.
[43:25] 231 tn The action precedes the action of preparing the gift, and so must be translated as past perfect.
[43:25] 232 tn Heb “eat bread.” The imperfect verbal form is used here as a historic future (future from the perspective of the past).
[43:26] 233 tn Heb “into the house.”
[43:27] 234 tn Heb “concerning peace.”
[43:28] 235 tn Heb “and they bowed low and they bowed down.” The use of synonyms here emphasizes the brothers’ humility.
[43:29] 236 tn Heb “and he lifted his eyes.” The referent of “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[43:29] 237 sn Joseph’s language here becomes warmer and more personal, culminating in calling Benjamin my son.
[43:30] 238 tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.
[43:30] 239 tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”
[43:31] 240 tn Heb “and he controlled himself and said.”
[43:32] 241 tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[43:32] 242 tn Or “disgraceful.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 46:34 and Exod 8:22.
[43:32] 243 tn Heb “and they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for the Egyptians are not able to eat food with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination for the Egyptians.” The imperfect verbal form in the explanatory clause is taken as habitual in force, indicating a practice that was still in effect in the narrator’s time.
[43:33] 244 tn Heb “the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth.”
[43:33] 245 sn The brothers’ astonishment indicates that Joseph arranged them in this way. They were astonished because there was no way, as far as they were concerned, that Joseph could have known the order of their birth.
[43:34] 246 tn Heb “and he lifted up portions from before his face to them.”
[43:34] 247 tn Heb “and they drank and were intoxicated with him” (cf. NIV “drank freely with him”; NEB “grew merry”; NRSV “were merry”). The brothers were apparently relaxed and set at ease, despite Joseph’s obvious favoritism toward Benjamin.
[9:24] 248 tn Grk “They were laughing at him.” The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
[9:26] 249 tn For the translation of τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην (thn ghn ekeinhn) as “that region,” see L&N 1.79.
[5:35] 250 sn See the note on synagogue rulers in 5:22.
[5:37] 251 tn Grk “and James,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[5:38] 252 tn Grk “and,” though such paratactic structure is rather awkward in English.
[5:38] 253 sn This group probably includes outside or even professional mourners, not just family, because a large group seems to be present.
[5:40] 254 tn Grk “They were laughing at him.” The imperfect verb has been taken ingressively.
[5:40] 255 tn Or “threw them all outside.” The verb used, ἐκβάλλω (ekballw), almost always has the connotation of force in Mark.
[5:40] 256 tn Grk “those with him.”
[5:40] 257 tn Grk “into where the child was.”
[5:42] 258 tn The Greek word εὐθύς (euqus, often translated “immediately” or “right away”) has not been translated here. It sometimes occurs with a weakened, inferential use (BDAG 406 s.v. 2), not contributing significantly to the flow of the narrative. For further discussion, see R. J. Decker, Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect (SBG 10), 73-77.
[5:43] 259 sn That no one should know about this. See the note on the phrase who he was in 3:12.
