Genesis 40:14

40:14 But remember me ¹  when it goes well for you, and show ²  me kindness. ³  Make mention ⁴  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ⁵ 

Deuteronomy 4:40

4:40 Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth ⁶  today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.

Psalms 128:2

128:2 You ⁷  will eat what you worked so hard to grow. ⁸ 

You will be blessed and secure. ⁹ 

Jeremiah 22:15-16

22:15 Does it make you any more of a king

that you outstrip everyone else in ¹⁰  building with cedar?

Just think about your father.

He was content that he had food and drink. ¹¹ 

He did what was just and right. ¹² 

So things went well with him.

22:16 He upheld the cause of the poor and needy.

So things went well for Judah.’ ¹³ 

The Lord says,

‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’ ¹⁴ 

[40:14]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”

[40:14]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.

[4:40]  ⁶ tn Heb “commanding” (so NRSV).

[128:2]  ⁷ tn The psalmist addresses the representative God-fearing man, as indicated by the references to “your wife” (v. 3) and “the man” (v. 4), as well as the second masculine singular pronominal and verbal forms in vv. 2-6.

[128:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “the work of your hands, indeed you will eat.”

[128:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “how blessed you [will be] and it will be good for you.”

[22:15]  ¹⁰ tn For the use of this verb see Jer 12:5 where it is used of Jeremiah “competing” with horses. The form is a rare Tiphel (see GKC 153 §55.h).

[22:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Your father, did he not eat and drink and do justice and right.” The copulative vav in front of the verbs here (all Hebrew perfects) shows that these actions are all coordinate not sequential. The contrast drawn here between the actions of Jehoiakim and Josiah show that the phrase eating and drinking should be read in the light of the same contrasts in Eccl 2 which ends with the note of contentment in Eccl 2:24 (see also Eccl 3:13; 5:18 [5:17 HT]; 8:15). The question is, of course, rhetorical setting forth the positive role model against which Jehoiakim’s actions are to be condemned. The key terms here are “then things went well with him” which is repeated in the next verse after the reiteration of Josiah’s practice of justice.

[22:15]  ¹² sn The father referred to here is the godly king Josiah. He followed the requirements for kings set forth in 22:3 in contrast to his son who did not (22:13).

[22:16]  ¹³ tn The words “for Judah” are not in the text, but the absence of the preposition plus object as in the preceding verse suggests that this is a more general statement, i.e., “things went well for everyone.”

[22:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Is that not what it means to know me.” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer. It is translated in the light of the context.