Verses 16-20 relate the instructions given by the king to have Jacob brought to Egypt and the promises made to take care of him and his people.

When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house: report refers to the news of the presence of Joseph’s brothers. Pharaoh’s house is “Pharaoh’s palace” or “the king’s palace.” The news of Joseph’s brothers probably passed from Joseph’s officers to those in the king’s court, who relayed it to the king. We may translate, for example, “When the news reached the king’s palace…” or “At the king’s palace it was learned that….”

Joseph’s brothers have come: Revised Standard Version treats this as quoted speech. However, most translations handle this information as an indirect report: “that Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt.”

It pleased Pharaoh and his servants well is literally “and it was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants.” This is the consequence of having learned that Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt. Servants are not domestic workers in the palace but officers of the king’s court, or more generally “officials.”

Some languages prefer to follow the order of the reason followed by the consequence, as in Good News Translation. Others, however, find it more natural to reverse that order; for example, “The king and his officers were very happy when the news reached the palace that Joseph’s brothers had come to Egypt.”

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 .