Verses 3 and 4 show that the conflict between Joseph and his brothers has resulted in a severe strain in family relations.

In verses 5-11 the tension continues to mount to a crisis, which the brothers attempt to resolve by getting rid of Joseph. In these verses Joseph has two dreams that he retells to his brothers. Both of these dreams suggest the future greatness of Joseph, something which Joseph knows nothing about at this time.

Now Joseph had a dream: as in verse 3, Revised Standard Version uses the transitional Now to render the Hebrew connective. At this point of the narrative, its function is to indicate the resumption of the story line following the background information given in verses 3-4. Note that Good News Translation again starts a new paragraph and opens this part of the story with “One time….” Some may find “One night” is more suitable for the setting of a dream.

They only hated him the more: this clause is omitted in some modern versions and in the Septuagint. Many interpreters believe that it has been copied from Gen 37.8. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project classifies it as {B} and keeps it; and the Handbook recommends the same to translators. However, in many languages the clause must be placed after verse 7 in any case, for discourse reasons, since it reports what the brothers’ feelings were after Joseph told them his dream. If that is done, then and when he told … should be rendered “and he told….”

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 .