Here the king addresses his question to his officials. The question is probably to be taken as rhetorical, so Good News Translation renders it as an emphatic statement. Note that the king does not receive an answer but continues in verses 39-40 to appoint Joseph to the new position.

Can we find such a man as this…?: we refers to the king and his officials and excludes Joseph. In some languages this requires an inclusive form of that pronoun. This may point back to the qualifications given by Joseph in verse 33; but it is more likely that this points to Joseph, who is standing at the side listening to the king.

In whom is the Spirit of God: in verse 25 Joseph made it clear that God has revealed to the king what is about to take place. It is also clear in verse 16 that God will reveal through Joseph the meaning of the king’s dreams. It is therefore evident to the king that Joseph has God’s spirit in him. Spirit of God has been revised to “spirit of God” in New Revised Standard Version. As in the case of Bezalel in Exo 31.1-5, the king recognizes that God has given his spirit to Joseph to be able to understand what God is doing. Therefore Joseph, regardless of what he has said in verse 16, is seen by the king as possessing extraordinary powers or gifts.

We may translate as in Good News Translation. Another model is Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, which says “God has given his spirit to this man.” It may be necessary to answer the rhetorical question; for example, “Can we find such a man as he [Joseph] is, and who has the power of God in him? Of course not.” It is also possible to translate as a negative emphatic statement; for example, “We cannot find a man like him who has this gift from God.” Some translations change the order of clauses to put the last clause first; for example, “The spirit of God is in this man [Joseph]. We will not be able to find any other man as good…”; “The spirit of God is in this man. There is no one else we can appoint to this work.”

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 .

This proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants: proposal translates a Hebrew term for “word” or “matter,” and in this context it refers to the plan Joseph had set out to save Egypt during the coming famine. Seemed good to is literally “was good in the eyes of.” Servants refers to the king’s officials, highly placed civil servants, and court officials.

In translation This proposal seemed good to … may be rendered in a number of ways; some examples from the Pacific area are “The king and all his servants admired this idea”; “The king and all his officers heard this talk of Joseph’s and they agreed to it”; “The king and his senior officials said to each other, ‘That is a good idea of Joseph’s.’”

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 .

That food shall be a reserve: That food refers to the grain that has been stored and saved up to be eaten during the years of famine.

For the land means for the country as a whole or for the people of Egypt.

Against the seven years of famine: that is, “for when the seven years of famine come.”

So that the land may not perish through the famine: that is, “so the people will not die from starvation” or “so that the people will not starve to death.”

We may render verse 36, for example, “All of that produce will be saved up for the people of this country so they will have it when the seven years of famine come, and in this way the people will not starve.”

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 .

And let them gather: the overseers are to collect the food. Food in this story does not refer to perishable food but rather to produce from the fields, principally grain or wheat, which can be stored for long periods of time.

Lay up grain under the authority of the Pharaoh for food in the cities: that is, “give them authority to gather grain and store it in the cities.”

And let them keep it: keep here means to “watch,” “preserve,” or “protect.” See Good News Translation “and guard it.” One translation that states this clearly says “and there must be soldiers to guard it.”

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 .

Verses 34 and 35 also begin with third person commands in the Hebrew, rendered by Revised Standard Version as “let” commands addressed to the king. See comments on verse 33 above.

Let … appoint overseers over the land: overseers refers to other officials, probably on a regional and local basis. Some translations call these overseers “governors,” “commissioners,” or “supervisors.” In some languages these persons are called “smaller bosses.”

Take the fifth part of the produce … during the seven plenteous years: it appears that the task of these overseers is to collect from the farmers a fifth of their crops during the years of abundant crops. It is assumed that they will do this each growing season. There is no indication, however, whether this fifth is taken as a tax or is purchased. But the Hebrew is also open to other interpretations. For example, some scholars understand it to mean “to divide the land into five parts.” Speiser understands it to mean “to organize or to regiment the land,” and this is followed by New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible. Most modern translations follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, which is recommended. In this case we may translate, for example, “and let these officials collect a fifth of all the crops grown in Egypt during the seven years of good crops” or “order these overseers to collect a fifth of every farmer’s crops every season during the good years.” Where the concept of a fifth part is difficult to express, some translators say “divide all the food they produce into five heaps [parts]: four of these are for food and one is to be held in storage.”

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 .

Joseph concludes his explanation of the king’s dream by proposing a practical way for providing for the years of famine. He would store up grain during the seven years of plenty. The first step to be taken to carry out this plan is to choose someone capable of organizing and administering the project.

Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man discreet and wise: Now therefore shifts Joseph’s speech from the interpretation to a concrete proposal; this introduction of a proposal may be expressed as “With this in mind you should…” or “So I advise you….” In one situation where it is acceptable for people to speak their minds to their leaders, the translation says “Well, you listen to me now, king:….” Select is literally “look for.” Discreet translates a word meaning intelligent, having understanding or insight. This person should also be wise, that is, have knowledge and sound judgment.

Let Pharaoh …: Joseph’s advice to the king is given as a series of third person imperatives. In many languages this will be much more natural if expressed in the second person, as in Good News Translation “you should choose….”

Set him over the land of Egypt: that is, “place him in charge of the country,” or “give him the power to rule….”

We may translate verse 33, for example, “So, your majesty, you should choose an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the whole country.”

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 .

The doubling of Pharaoh’s dream: this may need to be restructured to say “Your majesty had the same dream twice.”

Means that the thing is fixed by God: this expression has the sense “God has decided what will happen,” “The decision of God has been taken,” or “God has established what is going to happen.”

In some languages it is more natural to reverse the order of the clauses in the first part of this verse; for example, “This thing is sure to happen because God has given you the message in two dreams.”

And God will shortly bring it to pass: that is, “and he will make it happen soon.”

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 .

Verse 31 parallels verse 30 by announcing again that the famine will be so severe that the years of plenty will be forgotten.

The plenty will be unknown: unknown in this context has the sense that the famine will cause the evidence of the plentiful years to disappear. This is expressed by Speiser as “No trace will be left in it of the abundance.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “There will be left no signs of the abundance,” Revised English Bible “The good years will leave no trace in the land….”

By reason of that famine which will follow is literally “in the face of the famine that follows.”

For it will be very grievous: it refers to the famine. Grievous translates the Hebrew for “heavy,” which here has the sense of “severe,” “terrible,” “painful.”

In some languages it will be more natural to reverse the order of clauses and say, for example, “The famine will be so severe that nothing will be seen of the years when the crops were good” or “The famine … so bad that no sign of the years of good crops will be seen.”

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 .