Genesis 30:27

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, 1  for I have learned by divination 2  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”

Genesis 44:15

44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? 3  Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” 4 

1 tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

2 tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

3 tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”

4 tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.