Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he divines?: the steward’s question is rhetorical and may need to be reformulated in some languages to say “It is the cup he drinks from and uses for divining.”

From this: this refers to the silver cup. If the second question is not included in verse 4 (see discussion above), there is another possibility for supplying the information that is understood and needed to make the text clear at this point. As expressed in one translation, we may say “The cup you have taken is the cup my master drinks from.”

Divines refers to the practice of foreseeing or foretelling future events, or discovering hidden knowledge. According to Driver, water was poured into a vessel, and then pieces of gold, silver, or precious stones were added, and the diviner observed the designs that appeared on the surface of the water. From these shapes the diviner could interpret events. So also Anchor Bible. For further comments on divination see 30.27.

You have done wrong in so doing is literally “You [plural] have done evil what you [plural] have done.” See Good News Translation. We may translate, for example, “By stealing you have done a bad thing” or “You have stolen something and that is bad.”

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 .