2tn Heb “stood.”

3tn Heb “and he gave his voice in weeping,” meaning that Joseph could not restrain himself and wept out loud.

4tn Heb “and the Egyptians heard and the household of Pharaoh heard.” Presumably in the latter case this was by means of a report.

5tn Heb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”

6sn You sold me here, for God sent me. The tension remains as to how the brothers’ wickedness and God’s intentions work together. Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.

7tn Heb “the famine [has been] in the midst of.”

8sn God sent me. The repetition of this theme that God sent Joseph is reminiscent of commission narratives in which the leader could announce that God sent him (e.g., Exod 3:15).

9tn Heb “to make you a remnant.” The verb, followed here by the preposition לְ (l˙), means “to make.”

10tn The infinitive gives a second purpose for God’s action.

11tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.

12tn Heb “hurry and go up.”

13tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

14tn The verb כּוּל (kul) in the Pilpel stem means “to nourish, to support, to sustain.” As in 1 Kgs 20:27, it here means “to supply with food.”

15tn Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”

16tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

17tn Heb “and hurry and bring down my father to here.”

18tn Heb “and the sound was heard.”

19tn Heb “was good in the eyes of.”

20tn Heb “and go! Enter!”

21tn After the imperatives in vv. 17-18a, the cohortative with vav indicates result.

22tn After the cohortative the imperative with vav states the ultimate goal.

23tn Heb “fat.”

24tn The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

25tn Heb “let not your eye regard.”

26tn Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”

27tn Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”

28tn Heb “to all of them he gave, to each one, changes of outer garments.”

29tn Heb “changes of outer garments.”

30tn Heb “according to this.”

31tn Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.

32tn Heb “and they entered the land of Canaan to their father.”

33tn Heb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.

34tn Heb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”