Genesis 42:25-28

42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill ¹  their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. ²  42:26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. ³ 

42:27 When one of them ⁴  opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, ⁵  he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. ⁶  42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; ⁷  they turned trembling one to another ⁸  and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” ⁹ 

[42:25]  ¹ tn Heb “and they filled.” The clause appears to be elliptical; one expects “Joseph gave orders to fill…and they filled.” See GKC 386 §120.f.

[42:25]  ² tn Heb “and he did for them so.” Joseph would appear to be the subject of the singular verb. If the text is retained, the statement seems to be a summary of the preceding, more detailed statement. However, some read the verb as plural, “and they did for them so.” In this case the statement indicates that Joseph’s subordinates carried out his orders. Another alternative is to read the singular verb as passive (with unspecified subject), “and this was done for them so” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[42:26]  ³ tn Heb “and they went from there.”

[42:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the one.” The article indicates that the individual is vivid in the mind of the narrator, yet it is not important to identify him by name.

[42:27]  ⁵ tn Heb “at the lodging place.”

[42:27]  ⁶ tn Heb “and look, it [was] in the mouth of his sack.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to look through the eyes of the character and thereby draws attention to the money.

[42:28]  ⁷ tn Heb “and their heart went out.” Since this expression is used only here, the exact meaning is unclear. The following statement suggests that it may refer to a sudden loss of emotional strength, so “They were dismayed” adequately conveys the meaning (cf. NRSV); NIV has “Their hearts sank.”

[42:28]  ⁸ tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”

[42:28]  ⁹ tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.