Kejadian 41:1-55
Konteks41:1 At the end of two full years 1 Pharaoh had a dream. 2 As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, 3 and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, 4 and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. 5 41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing 6 on one stalk, healthy 7 and good. 41:6 Then 8 seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. 9
41:8 In the morning he 10 was troubled, so he called for 11 all the diviner-priests 12 of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, 13 but no one could interpret 14 them for him. 15 41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. 16 41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker. 41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. 17 41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant 18 of the captain of the guards, 19 was with us there. We told him our dreams, 20 and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. 21 41:13 It happened just as he had said 22 to us – Pharaoh 23 restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” 24
41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned 25 Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, 26 and there is no one who can interpret 27 it. But I have heard about you, that 28 you can interpret dreams.” 29 41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, 30 but God will speak concerning 31 the welfare of Pharaoh.” 32
41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing 33 by the edge of the Nile. 41:18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 34 41:19 Then 35 seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows 36 as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven 37 fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, 38 no one would have known 39 that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 41:22 I also saw in my dream 40 seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then 41 seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this 42 to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” 43
41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. 44 God has revealed 45 to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 46 41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. 47 41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent 48 seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told 49 Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 41:30 But seven years of famine will occur 50 after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate 51 the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered 52 because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. 53 41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh 54 because the matter has been decreed 55 by God, and God will make it happen soon. 56
41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look 57 for a wise and discerning man 58 and give him authority 59 over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do 60 this – he should appoint 61 officials 62 throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt 63 during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food 64 during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority 65 they should store up grain so the cities will have food, 66 and they should preserve it. 67 41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” 68
41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. 69 41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, 70 one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” 71 41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning 72 as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. 73 Only I, the king, will be greater than you. 74
41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place 75 you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” 76 41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen 77 clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh 78 had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, 79 and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” 80 So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission 81 no one 82 will move his hand or his foot 83 in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. 84 He also gave him Asenath 85 daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, 86 to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of 87 all the land of Egypt.
41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old 88 when he began serving 89 Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by 90 Pharaoh and was in charge of 91 all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. 92 41:48 Joseph 93 collected all the excess food 94 in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. 95 In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, 96 until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.
41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. 97 Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. 98 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, 99 saying, 100 “Certainly 101 God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, 102 saying, 103 “Certainly 104 God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
41:53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, 105 just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 41:55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, 106 “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
Kejadian 47:1-26
Konteks47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father, my brothers, their flocks and herds, and all that they own have arrived from the land of
Canaan. They are now 107 in the land of Goshen.” 47:2 He took five of his brothers and introduced them to Pharaoh. 108
47:3 Pharaoh said to Joseph’s 109 brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” 110 47:4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents 111 in the land. There 112 is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”
47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 47:6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men 113 among them, put them in charge 114 of my livestock.”
47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him 115 before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed 116 Pharaoh. 47:8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” 117 47:9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All 118 the years of my travels 119 are 130. All 120 the years of my life have been few and painful; 121 the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” 122 47:10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. 123
47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory 124 in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, 125 just as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12 Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children.
47:13 But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away 126 because of the famine. 47:14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment 127 for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. 128 47:15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians 129 came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die 130 before your very eyes because our money has run out?”
47:16 Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food 131 in exchange for 132 your livestock.” 47:17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. 133 He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock.
47:18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our 134 lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. 47:19 Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become 135 Pharaoh’s slaves. 136 Give us seed that we may live 137 and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” 138
47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each 139 of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. 140 So the land became Pharaoh’s. 47:21 Joseph 141 made all the people slaves 142 from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. 47:22 But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate 143 the land. 47:24 When you gather in the crop, 144 give 145 one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest 146 will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 47:25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, 147 and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 148
47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, 149 which is in effect 150 to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
[41:1] 1 tn Heb “two years, days.”
[41:1] 2 tn Heb “was dreaming.”
[41:2] 3 tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.
[41:3] 4 tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”
[41:3] 5 tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:7] 9 tn Heb “And look, a dream.”
[41:7] sn Pharaoh’s two dreams, as explained in the following verses, pertained to the economy of Egypt. Because of the Nile River, the land of Egypt weathered all kinds of famines – there was usually grain in Egypt, and if there was grain and water the livestock would flourish. These two dreams, however, indicated that poverty would overtake plenty and that the blessing of the herd and the field would cease.
[41:8] 10 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[41:8] 11 tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.
[41:8] 12 tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.
[41:8] 13 tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).
[41:8] 14 tn “there was no interpreter.”
[41:8] 15 tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:9] 16 tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).
[41:11] 17 tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”
[41:12] 19 tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.
[41:12] 20 tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:12] 21 tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”
[41:13] 22 tn Heb “interpreted.”
[41:13] 23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:13] 24 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:14] 25 tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.
[41:15] 26 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
[41:15] 27 tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”
[41:15] 29 tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”
[41:16] 30 tn Heb “not within me.”
[41:16] 31 tn Heb “God will answer.”
[41:16] 32 tn The expression שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה (shÿlom par’oh) is here rendered “the welfare of Pharaoh” because the dream will be about life in his land. Some interpret it to mean an answer of “peace” – one that will calm his heart, or give him the answer that he desires (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[41:17] 33 tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph; but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.
[41:18] 34 tn Heb “and look, from the Nile seven cows were coming up, fat of flesh and attractive of appearance, and they grazed in the reeds.”
[41:19] 36 tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:20] 37 tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”
[41:21] 38 tn Heb “when they went inside them.”
[41:21] 39 tn Heb “it was not known.”
[41:22] 40 tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”
[41:24] 42 tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:24] 43 tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”
[41:25] 44 tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”
[41:25] 46 tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.
[41:26] 47 tn Heb “one dream it is.”
[41:27] 48 tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”
[41:28] 49 tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”
[41:30] 50 tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.
[41:30] 51 tn The Hebrew verb כָּלָה (kalah) in the Piel stem means “to finish, to destroy, to bring an end to.” The severity of the famine will ruin the land of Egypt.
[41:32] 54 tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”
[41:32] 55 tn Heb “established.”
[41:32] 56 tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.
[41:33] 57 tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
[41:33] 58 tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:33] 59 tn Heb “and let him set him.”
[41:34] 60 tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”
[41:34] 61 tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
[41:34] 62 tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.
[41:34] 63 tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.
[41:35] 64 tn Heb “all the food.”
[41:35] 65 tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”
[41:35] 66 tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.
[41:35] 67 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.
[41:36] 68 tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”
[41:37] 69 tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”
[41:38] 70 tn Heb “like this,” but the referent could be misunderstood to be a man like that described by Joseph in v. 33, rather than Joseph himself. For this reason the proper name “Joseph” has been supplied in the translation.
[41:38] 71 tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”
[41:39] 72 tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:40] 73 tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.
[41:40] 74 tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”
[41:41] 75 tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”
[41:41] 76 sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.
[41:42] 77 tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.
[41:43] 78 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:43] 79 tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”
[41:43] 80 tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).
[41:44] 81 tn Heb “apart from you.”
[41:44] 82 tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.
[41:44] 83 tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.
[41:45] 84 sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] áIp-àankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 1262).
[41:45] 85 sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph – a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.
[41:45] 86 sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.
[41:45] 87 tn Heb “and he passed through.”
[41:46] 88 tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”
[41:46] 89 tn Heb “when he stood before.”
[41:46] 90 tn Heb “went out from before.”
[41:46] 91 tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”
[41:47] 92 tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”
[41:48] 93 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[41:48] 94 tn Heb “all the food.”
[41:48] 95 tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”
[41:49] 96 tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.
[41:50] 97 tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”
[41:50] 98 tn Heb “gave birth for him.”
[41:51] 99 sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.
[41:51] 100 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:52] 102 sn The name Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם, ’efrayim), a form of the Hebrew verb פָּרָה (parah), means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hos 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be a dual, for which F. Delitzsch simply said it meant “double fruitfulness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:305). G. J. Spurrell suggested it was a diphthongal pronunciation of a name ending in -an or -am, often thought to be dual suffixes (Notes on the text of the book of Genesis, 334). Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” (C. Fontinoy, “Les noms de lieux en -ayim dans la Bible,” UF 3 [1971]: 33-40). The dual would then be an old locative ending. There is no doubt that the name became attached to the land in which the tribe settled, and it is possible that is where the dual ending came from, but in this story it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness.
[41:52] 103 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[41:54] 105 tn Heb “began to arrive.”
[41:55] 106 tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.
[47:1] 107 tn Heb “Look they [are] in the land of Goshen.” Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.
[47:2] 108 tn Heb “and from the whole of his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.”
[47:3] 109 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:3] 110 tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”
[47:4] 111 tn Heb “to sojourn.”
[47:4] 112 tn 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.
[47:6] 113 tn Heb “men of skill.”
[47:6] 114 tn Heb “make them rulers.”
[47:6] 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.
[47:7] 115 tn Heb “caused him to stand.”
[47:7] 116 sn 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.
[47:8] 117 tn Heb “How many are the days of the years of your life?”
[47:9] 118 tn Heb “the days of.”
[47:9] 119 tn Heb “sojournings.” Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.
[47:9] 120 tn Heb “the days of.”
[47:9] 121 tn 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.
[47:9] 122 tn Heb “and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”
[47:10] 123 tn Heb “from before Pharaoh.”
[47:11] 124 tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.
[47:11] 125 sn 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.
[47:13] 126 tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, la’ah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.
[47:14] 127 tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
[47:15] 129 tn Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.
[47:15] 130 tn The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.
[47:16] 131 tn The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:16] 132 tn On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
[47:17] 133 tn The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.
[47:18] 134 tn Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.
[47:19] 135 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.
[47:19] 136 sn 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.
[47:19] 137 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.
[47:19] 138 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.
[47:20] 139 tn 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.
[47:20] 140 tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:21] 141 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:21] 142 tc 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.”
[47:23] 143 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.
[47:24] 144 tn The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:24] 145 tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.
[47:24] 146 tn Heb “four parts.”
[47:25] 147 tn 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.”
[47:25] 148 sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.
[47:26] 149 tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.
[47:26] 150 tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
