As this is a new topic that takes place after the previous events, it may be necessary to indicate the transition. We may say, for example, “After Jacob had been buried,” “When the funeral was over,” or “Some time after the funeral.”

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead: saw that … may need to be expressed here as a time expression as in Good News Translation. If a transitional phrase is used, we may say, for example, “When the funeral was over and the brothers no longer had their father with them, they said….” Saw that … dead translates the Hebrew literally and means “realized they were now without their father.”

It may be that Joseph will hate us: the brothers have a lingering fear that the powerful Joseph, no longer influenced by his father, may take revenge on them. Good News Translation and others use a question form: “What if…?” Bible en français courant restructures to say “Joseph’s brothers said to themselves, ‘Now that our father is dead, Joseph could well turn against us….’ ” Another model is Biblia Dios Habla Hoy: “Since Jacob had died, Joseph’s brothers thought ‘Perhaps Joseph hates us and is going to avenge himself….’ ” Examples from translations in other languages are “What now? It will be no good if Joseph is still cross with us…,” “If Joseph still feels bad and wants to pay us back, what will happen?” and “Perhaps Joseph still keeps us in his insides for that bad thing we did … He might pay us back because our father is dead now.”

As in 27.41 hate means to bear a grudge or hold bad feelings against someone, to resent someone.

Pay us back in this context means “to get even,” “to take revenge.” We may translate, for example, “What will happen to us if Joseph decides to…?”

All the evil: that is, “all the bad things,” or “all the wrong.”

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 .