Genesis 37:12-17

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ¹  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ²  Joseph replied. ³  37:14 So Jacob ⁴  said to him, “Go now and check on ⁵  the welfare ⁶  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ⁷  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ⁸  a man found him wandering ⁹  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 ¹⁰  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ¹¹  for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

[37:13]  ¹ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ² sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”