Festal garments: the Hebrew appears to say “change of clothing.” However, interpreters and translators differ as to what this means. Revised Standard Version takes it to refer to special or festal clothing; that is, robes that were worn only on special occasions. Some take it to mean a “change of clothing” or “fresh clothing” without suggesting whether the clothing is new or used. Revised English Bible has revised New English Bible “change of clothing” to “new clothes.” New Revised Standard Version has revised Revised Standard Version to “a set of garments.” Westermann takes it to mean “changes of clothing for special occasions.” Since it is not possible to say precisely what is meant, we may translate as in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, or say “new” or “fresh clothing.”

But to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver: for shekel as the weight of silver, see 43.21. The word shekel is not used in the Hebrew of this verse, which is literally “three hundred [of] silver.” For translation see Good News Translation.

Five festal garments: this is a parallel to Benjamin being given five times the amount of food that was given to his brothers in 43.34. In some languages translators change the order of the gifts to Benjamin so that the gift of clothes to him follows immediately on the gift of clothes to the other brothers; for example, “He gave new clothes to each brother; but to Benjamin he gave five new clothes and three hundred pieces of silver money.”

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 .