As in 40.8 Joseph does not claim for himself any special power or secret knowledge, as the king’s magicians might.

It is not in me is literally “Not I.” See Good News Translation. We may express this thought as “I am not the one” or “It is not me who does it.” One translation expresses it like this: “No, King. I can’t do this. But God….” Note that Good News Translation softens Joseph’s reply by the address “Your majesty.”

God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer: this is literally “God will answer the peace of Pharaoh.” The word for “peace” includes such meanings as well-being, prosperity, and success. Joseph makes clear in verse 28 that God is the origin of the dream, and in verse 32 that God is speaking to the king to prepare him for what is about to happen. Accordingly favorable means that the interpretation of the dream will be for the good of the king, and we may translate, for example, “God will give the king a good answer” or “God will give your majesty an explanation that will be for your good.”

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 .