The “king of Egypt” released Joseph from prison and put him in charge of Egypt (verses 20-22; see Gen 41.37-45); in verse 20b the Egyptian king is called the ruler of the peoples. This may be taken as an honorific title, not in the technical sense that he was an emperor ruling over many nations. Ruler of peoples in line b is not a literary expression raising the poetic effect of line b. Neither does the expression make more specific or dramatic the title king in line a. Accordingly the two lines are semantically equivalent, and therefore in some languages it may be desirable to adjust the two titles by placing one in apposition to the other, as Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has done: “The king, who ruled many people, commanded that Joseph should be set free.”

In verse 21a his house means the palace, that is, the government, and in verse 21b all his possessions means the land of Egypt (see Gen 41.39-41).

In verse 22a the Masoretic text has the verb “to bind,” which Good News Translation translates “with power over”; but many prefer to follow the ancient versions, which have “to instruct,” which is a better parallel to the next line (see Revised Standard Version to instruct; also An American Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Zürcher Bibel, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New International Version).20-22 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“B” decision) prefers the Masoretic text “to bind” and explains it: “The expression ‘to bind’ means here the exercise of authority and power….” New Jerusalem Bible takes the Masoretic text to mean “to discipline.” Revised Standard Version at his pleasure translates the Hebrew “in his nefesh,” a figure of complete authority. Princes and elders are the king’s high officials and the royal counselors. The literal language, as reflected in Revised Standard Version to instruct and to teach … wisdom, makes it appear that Joseph’s role was that of a teacher or instructor (see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant); but in line with the events as reported in Genesis, it seems better to understand the language to mean that Joseph was given the authority to command the Egyptian officials and tell them what was the wisest course to follow in order to keep the country from being ruined by the seven years’ famine.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .