Discovery BoxGenesis 27:37 
Context27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?”
Genesis 37:7
Context37:7 There we were, 1 binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down 2 to it!”
Genesis 41:27
Context41:27 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 3 seven years of famine.
Genesis 41:35
Context41:35 They should gather all the excess food 4 during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority 5 they should store up grain so the cities will have food, 6 and they should preserve it. 7
Genesis 42:6
Context42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. 8 Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down 9 before him with 10 their faces to the ground.
Genesis 42:25
Context42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill 11 their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. 12
Genesis 42:33
Context42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain 13 for your hungry households and go.
Genesis 44:2
Context44:2 Then put 14 my cup – the silver cup – in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph instructed. 15
Genesis 45:23
Context45:23 To his father he sent the following: 16 ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey.
Genesis 47:14
Context47:14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment 17 for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. 18
1 tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”
2 tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.
3 tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”
4 tn Heb “all the food.”
5 tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”
6 tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.
7 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.
8 tn The disjunctive clause either introduces a new episode in the unfolding drama or provides the reader with supplemental information necessary to understanding the story.
9 sn Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him. Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see Gen 37). But it is not the complete fulfillment, since all his brothers and his parents must come. The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).
10 tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.
11 tn Heb “and they filled.” The clause appears to be elliptical; one expects “Joseph gave orders to fill…and they filled.” See GKC 386 §120.f.
12 tn Heb “and he did for them so.” Joseph would appear to be the subject of the singular verb. If the text is retained, the statement seems to be a summary of the preceding, more detailed statement. However, some read the verb as plural, “and they did for them so.” In this case the statement indicates that Joseph’s subordinates carried out his orders. Another alternative is to read the singular verb as passive (with unspecified subject), “and this was done for them so” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
13 tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
14 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.
15 tn Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”
16 tn Heb “according to this.”
17 tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
18 tn Heb “house.”
