When the days of weeping for him were past: that is, “when the time of mourning was over.” Some languages have set expressions for the period of mourning after a person’s death, and such expressions will usually be appropriate in this context; for example, “the continually wailing time” or “time of sadness and crying.”

Household of Pharaoh: Joseph makes his request through what is literally “the house of Pharaoh,” which means here the officers of the king’s court. The reason for not going directly to the king is probably that Joseph was still in mourning, or that his head and beard were still shaved. It would not be acceptable for Joseph, who had been involved with a corpse, to have contact with this god-king.

If now I have found favor in your eyes: for this much-repeated expression see 6.8; 18.3; 33.10; and especially 47.29.

Speak … in the ears of Pharaoh: note how Good News Translation has expressed this: “Please take this message to the king.” We may also say, for example, “Joseph said to the king’s officials, ‘Please go to the king and tell him this:…,’ ” or “ ‘… and make this request on my behalf:….’ ”

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 .