Genesis 31:14

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ¹  in our father’s house?

Genesis 43:6

43:6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble ²  on me by telling ³  the man you had one more brother?”

Genesis 45:3

45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him.

Genesis 43:7

43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us ⁴  thoroughly ⁵  about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ ⁶  So we answered him in this way. ⁷  How could we possibly know ⁸  that he would say, ⁹  ‘Bring your brother down’?”

[31:14]  ¹ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[43:6]  ² tn The verb may even have a moral connotation here, “Why did you do evil to me?”

[43:6]  ³ tn The infinitive construct here explains how they brought trouble on Jacob.

[43:7]  ³ tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:7]  ⁴ tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.

[43:7]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”

[43:7]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).