The king does not reply to the wine servant’s speech but immediately arranges to have Joseph brought to him.

For sent and called see Gen 41.8.

They brought him hastily out of the dungeon: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew active construction. They does not refer back to any noun, however; and languages that cannot follow this model may need to replace they with a noun phrase such as “the king’s men,” “the king’s messengers,” or “the king’s soldiers.” For dungeon see 40.15.

When he had shaved himself and changed his clothes: he refers to Joseph, who must prepare himself to appear before the king. See the similar case of Jehoiachin in 2 Kgs 25.29. The Hebrew verb shaved means both to shave (the face) and to cut the hair (of the head). Some interpret the form of the verb to mean here “cut his hair.” See Speiser, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. However, most English versions translate as do Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Driver comments: “The Egyptians shaved both their heads and their faces (though they wore on important occasions artificial hair and beards): on the monuments, only foreigners, and natives of inferior rank, are represented as growing beards.” If the translator chooses “cut the hair,” it may be necessary to say “they cut his hair.”

A literal translation of changed his clothes may not carry the right sense. He had to remove his prison clothing and put on clothing that was acceptable for standing before the king.

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 .