complete verse (Genesis 42:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 42:27:

  • Kankanaey: “When it-was-night, they stopped on the trail so-that there- they -would-overnight. When one then opened his sack so-that he would feed his donkey, guess-what right there was his money placed-on-top-of the wheat.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At the place [where] they stayed in the evening, one of them, thinking to feed grain to [his] donkey, when he opened his sack also saw his money at the top of it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When they stopped for a night in one place, one of them opened-up his sack to feed his donkey. When- he -opened-(it), he found there the money that he had-paid.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “At the place where they stopped to sleep that night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey. He was amazed to see his money in the top of the sack.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 42:27

The action in verse 27 may require a transition. In that case we may say, for example, “When they arrived that night at a lodging place….” See Good News Translation. Some translations say “When they stopped for the night” or “… made camp for the night.”

Provender refers to feed for animals and was first used in 24.25. See there. The provender in this case is some of the grain obtained in Egypt. Note Good News Translation “to feed his donkey.”

Lodging place: this translates a noun related to the verb meaning “to pass the night.” It may refer to making camp for the night or to an inn beside the road where travelers spent the night. It is apparent from this verse that the traveler had to provide his own feed for his animals. Good News Translation “at the place where they spent the night” may mean either their camp site or an inn and is a good model.

He saw his money in the mouth of his sack: that is, “he found [discovered] his money [bag of silver] at the top of his grain sack” or “… on top of the grain.” In this final clause the Hebrew uses hinneh to introduce the surprise of one of them finding the money. According to what they tell Joseph’s steward in 43.21, each man found his money on this occasion. However, in 42.35 the rest of the brothers find their money when they are at home with their father. Regardless of the assumptions made about the history of the text to account for these differences, the translator must translate the Hebrew text as we have it.

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 .