Why does my lord speak such words as these?: this question is not asking for an explanation but rather expresses the brothers’ disbelief in what they are hearing: “Sir, how can you say such a thing?” or “How can you accuse us in this way, sir?” A translation that expresses the sense but does not use a question form says “We don’t know what you are talking about.”

Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!: for the translation of this expression, see 18.25. Your servants refers to the brothers who are speaking to their superior. In many languages it will be translated as the first person plural (exclusive) pronoun; for example, “Far be it from us to do…” or “We could never do….” In some languages the sentence with your servants may be expressed as, for example, “Such small people as we are could not do such a thing.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .