Said to them must often be expressed as “asked them.”

What deed is this that you have done?: Revised Standard Version renders the Hebrew as a “what” question. It may be more natural to say “Why have you done this thing?” or “Why have you acted this way?” It is also possible to be quite direct: “Why did you steal my cup?”

Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed divine?: Joseph’s question expresses the futility of trying to deceive him, because he, as a ruler of Egypt, has secret knowledge, or, just as he interprets dreams, he also knows how to reveal people’s secrets—in this case something secretly stolen. Such a man as I means “a man of my knowledge” or “a man who rules as I do.” It may also be expressed as “we rulers can….”

Can indeed divine is expressed in New Revised Standard Version as “can practice divination.” Revised English Bible say “uses divination.” We may translate the idea of divine by saying, for example, “can learn through magic the secret things people do” or “can find out secretly the things people try to keep hidden.”

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 .