Genesis 33:5

33:5 When Esau ¹  looked up ²  and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob ³  replied, “The children whom God has graciously given ⁴  your servant.”

Genesis 42:21

42:21 They said to one other, ⁵  “Surely we’re being punished ⁶  because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was ⁷  when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress ⁸  has come on us!”

Genesis 43:29

43:29 When Joseph looked up ⁹  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.” ¹⁰ 

[33:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ² tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[33:5]  ³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”

[42:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”

[42:21]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”

[42:21]  ⁸ 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.

[43:29]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he lifted his eyes.” The referent of “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[43:29]  ¹⁰ sn Joseph’s language here becomes warmer and more personal, culminating in calling Benjamin my son.