While the conversation between the brothers continues in verses 21-22, Joseph overhears what they are saying to each other, but does not let them know that he understands them.

Then they said to one another is literally “and they said each to his brother.” It is made clear in the comment of verse 23 that Joseph spoke to his brothers through an interpreter, which was the reason why they did not realize that he could understand them. Some translations express here what that comment assumes but does not say directly: “they said to each other in their own language….”

In truth we are guilty … brother: the brothers now feel that the wrong they did to Joseph has caught up with them, and that they are suffering for the evil they did to him years earlier. They have not been able to free themselves of the guilt brought on them by abandoning Joseph and lying to their father. See Good News Translation. We may also translate, for example, “It is true that what we did to our brother was wrong.” Bible en français courant says “Oh! We are certainly being punished because of our brother.”

In that we saw the distress of his soul: this refers to when they threw Joseph into a pit in 37.23-24. Distress of his soul may be rendered, for example, “how distressed he was,” “his anguished look,” or “his pleading eyes.”

When he besought us and we would not listen: that is, “when he begged us for mercy and we paid no attention to him.”

Therefore is this distress come upon us: that is, “that is the reason why we are suffering now.”

We may translate verse 21, for example:

• They all began talking to each other and saying, “We are being punished now for what we did to our brother when we saw how troubled he was and how he begged us for mercy. But we paid no attention to him. That is why we are in this trouble now.”

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 .