But let me lie with my fathers: but is used by Revised Standard Version to contrast being buried in Egypt with being buried in Canaan beside his father and grandfather. If this is the meaning of the clause, we may translate “Bury me where my ancestors are.” However, New Revised Standard Version has a different rendering, which is also followed by some other versions, “When I lie down with my ancestors.” This takes the clause to be the commonly occurring idiom (or euphemism) for death; and in this sense we may translate “When I die, [I want you to] carry my body away….”

Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place: this refers to the cave of Machpelah purchased by Abraham from the Hittites in chapter 23. If Revised Standard Version is followed, it may be helpful to rearrange verse 30 so that the first clause becomes the consequence of the command to Joseph; for example, “Take me out of Egypt and bury me in the grave of my fathers [of my father and my grandfather]. There I will lie beside them.” Some translations express the contrast in the verse by saying “When I die, don’t bury me here in this country. Carry my body back … and put me there in that graveyard where my ancestors are lying.”

He answered: that is, “Joseph answered.”

I will do as you have said is literally “I will do according to your words.” See Good News Translation.

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 .