3tnHeb “and he gave his voice in weeping,” meaning that Joseph could not restrain himself and wept out loud.
4tnHeb “and the Egyptians heard and the household of Pharaoh heard.” Presumably in the latter case this was by means of a report.
5tnHeb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”
6snYou 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.
7tnHeb “the famine [has been] in the midst of.”
8snGod 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).
9tnHeb “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.
11tnHeb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.
12tnHeb “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.”
15tnHeb “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.
17tnHeb “and hurry and bring down my father to here.”
18tnHeb “and the sound was heard.”
19tnHeb “was good in the eyes of.”
20tnHeb “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.
23tnHeb “fat.”
24tn The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
25tnHeb “let not your eye regard.”
26tnHeb “and the sons of Israel did so.”
27tnHeb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”
28tnHeb “to all of them he gave, to each one, changes of outer garments.”
29tnHeb “changes of outer garments.”
30tnHeb “according to this.”
31tnHeb “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.
32tnHeb “and they entered the land of Canaan to their father.”
33tnHeb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.
34tnHeb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”