complete verse (Genesis 44:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 44:5:

  • Kankanaey: “Why have you stolen his silver cup? That is a heavy (i.e. serious) sin of yours, because that’s what-he-drinks-from and what he also uses to divine.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Why have you stolen the cup which my master uses to drink from and to test good and evil? You have done this very evil deed.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Why did- you (pl.) -take the cup that my master drinks-from and (that) he uses for divination? This (which) you (pl.) have-done is bad.’ ‘” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You have stolen the cup that my master drinks from! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!”” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 44:5

Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he divines?: the steward’s question is rhetorical and may need to be reformulated in some languages to say “It is the cup he drinks from and uses for divining.”

From this: this refers to the silver cup. If the second question is not included in verse 4 (see discussion above), there is another possibility for supplying the information that is understood and needed to make the text clear at this point. As expressed in one translation, we may say “The cup you have taken is the cup my master drinks from.”

Divines refers to the practice of foreseeing or foretelling future events, or discovering hidden knowledge. According to Driver, water was poured into a vessel, and then pieces of gold, silver, or precious stones were added, and the diviner observed the designs that appeared on the surface of the water. From these shapes the diviner could interpret events. So also Anchor Bible. For further comments on divination see 30.27.

You have done wrong in so doing is literally “You [plural] have done evil what you [plural] have done.” See Good News Translation. We may translate, for example, “By stealing you have done a bad thing” or “You have stolen something and that is bad.”

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 .