Genesis 37:29

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ¹  He tore his clothes,

Genesis 41:14

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ²  Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.

Genesis 37:22

37:22 Reuben continued, ³  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ⁴  (Reuben said this ⁵  so he could rescue Joseph ⁶  from them ⁷  and take him back to his father.)

Genesis 37:28

37:28 So when the Midianite ⁸  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁹  him ¹⁰  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ¹¹  then took Joseph to Egypt.

[37:29]  ¹ tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.

[41:14]  ² tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.

[37:22]  ³ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ⁴ sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.

[37:22]  ⁵ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ⁷ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:28]  ⁴ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

[37:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:28]  ⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.