OET interlinear GEN 42:37

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-quotations

וַ⁠יֹּ֤אמֶר רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל־אָבִ֣י⁠ו לֵ⁠אמֹ֔ר

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Reuven to/towards his/its=father to=say DOM two_of my_sons_of,my kill if not I,will_bring_him to,you put, DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in hand_of,my and,I I,will_bring_him_back to,you )

Alternate translation: [Then Reuben responded to his father]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י בָנַ⁠י֙ תָּמִ֔ית אִם־לֹ֥א אֲבִיאֶ֖⁠נּוּ אֵלֶ֑י⁠ךָ

DOM (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Reuven to/towards his/its=father to=say DOM two_of my_sons_of,my kill if not I,will_bring_him to,you put, DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in hand_of,my and,I I,will_bring_him_back to,you )

For some languages, it is necessary to change the order of clauses in this sentence (so that the condition comes first), as in the second alternate above. Alternate translation: [You may punish me by killing my sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you] or [If I fail to bring Benjamin back to you safely, you can punish me by killing my two sons]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

תְּנָ֤⁠ה אֹת⁠וֹ֙ עַל־יָדִ֔⁠י

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Reuven to/towards his/its=father to=say DOM two_of my_sons_of,my kill if not I,will_bring_him to,you put, DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in hand_of,my and,I I,will_bring_him_back to,you )

The phrase in my hand is used here as an idiom that means that Reuben was going to be responsible for Benjamin’s welfare. Alternate translation: [Entrust him to my care as we travel to Egypt] or [Let me be responsible for taking care of Benjamin on our trip to Egypt]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

וַ⁠אֲנִ֖י אֲשִׁיבֶ֥⁠נּוּ אֵלֶֽי⁠ךָ

and,I (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_said Reuven to/towards his/its=father to=say DOM two_of my_sons_of,my kill if not I,will_bring_him to,you put, DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in hand_of,my and,I I,will_bring_him_back to,you )

For some languages it is more natural to change the order of clauses in this quote and say, “Father, let me be responsible for taking Benjamin down to Egypt. If I fail to bring him back to you safely, you can punish me by killing my two sons.” Alternate translation: [and I promise that I will bring him back to you safely]