1tn Heb “Look they [are] in the land of Goshen.” Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.

2tn Heb “and from the whole of his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.”

3tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

4tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”

5tn Heb “to sojourn.”

6tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

7tn Heb “men of skill.”

8tn Heb “make them rulers.”

sn Put them in charge of my livestock. Pharaoh is, in effect, offering Joseph’s brothers jobs as royal keepers of livestock, a position mentioned often in Egyptian inscriptions, because the Pharaohs owned huge herds of cattle.

9tn Heb “caused him to stand.”

10sn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “blessed” is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising God. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking God to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.

11tn Heb “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

12tn Heb “the days of.”

13tn Heb “sojournings.” Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.

14tn Heb “the days of.”

15tn The Hebrew word רַע (ra’) can sometimes mean “evil,” but that would give the wrong connotation here, where it refers to pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Jacob is thinking back through all the troubles he had to endure to get to this point.

16tn Heb “and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”

17tn Heb “from before Pharaoh.”

18tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.

19sn The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11; 12:37). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.

20tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, laah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.

21tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

22tn Heb “house.”

23tn Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.

24tn The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.

25tn The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

26tn On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

27tn The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.

28tn Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.

29tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.

30sn Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.

31tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.

32tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.

33tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

34tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

35tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

36tc The MT reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX read “he enslaved them as slaves.”

37tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.

38tn The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

39tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.

40tn Heb “four parts.”

41tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

42sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.

43tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.

44tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

45tn Heb “the days of the years.”

46tn Heb “days.”

47sn On the expression put your hand under my thigh see Gen 24:2.

48tn Or “deal with me in faithful love.”

49tn Heb “lie down.” Here the expression “lie down” refers to death.

50tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

51tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

52tn Heb “swear on oath to me.” The words “that you will do so” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

53tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

54tn Heb “swore on oath to him.”

55sn The Hebrew verb normally means “bow down,” especially in worship or prayer. Here it might simply mean “bend low,” perhaps from weakness or approaching death. The narrative is ambiguous at this point and remains open to all these interpretations.

56tc The MT reads מִטָּה (mittah, “bed, couch”). The LXX reads the word as מַטֶּה (matteh, “staff, rod”) and interprets this to mean that Jacob bowed down in worship while leaning on the top of his staff. The LXX reading was used in turn by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:21).