In this verse God enables Joseph to repel and overcome his enemies.

Yet his bow remained unmoved: unmoved does not mean that he does nothing with his bow, which is his defense. The idea is rather that “he holds his bow steadily as he aims,” that is, without moving or trembling. See Good News Translation. Two ways of expressing this are “Your hand that holds the bow does not shake” and “[You will beat them because] you will have a steady arm for your bow.”

His arms were made agile: the Hebrew says “the arms of his hands.” Note that Good News Translation‘s footnote gives an alternative rendering based on the Septuagint. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, recommends “and his arms and hands were agile.”

By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob: hands is used here in the sense of “power.” Mighty One of Jacob refers to the God whom Jacob worships. It is a title used also in Psa 132.2, 5; and Isa 49.26. Note the Good News Translation rendering of this title as “the Mighty God of Jacob.” In this expression the relation of Jacob to God is that of worshiper or follower and not possessor.

(By the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel): note that Revised Standard Version handles these additional names as parenthetical, but New Revised Standard Version has removed the parentheses. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation may be understood by some readers as representing three different gods. In such cases some adjustments will be required; for example, “by the mighty God whom Jacob worships, who is also called the Shepherd and the Rock of Israel.”

Although Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation do not call attention to the Hebrew text, the expression by the name is from the Septuagint. The Hebrew text has “from there,” which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project translates as “from there,” “thence,” or “from then.” However, if we are to understand that the God called by these various names made Joseph’s arms steady so that his bow did not tremble, then by, as used in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, is more suitable.

Shepherd is used in reference to God in Psa 80.1, where it is expressed as “Shepherd of Israel.” Rock of Israel occurs in Isa 30.29, but there the Hebrew word means a rock, whereas in our verse it translates the word for “stone,” an expression not used elsewhere for God, but which carries the sense of a great stone such as a monument. Note Good News Translation “Protector.” Translators may render Rock of Israel as “the Great Stone of Israel” or, for example, “the stone that protects Israel,” or as in 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 .