My cup, the silver cup: cup translates a term that refers to a cup or bowl which is a drinking cup, probably without a handle. Silver makes the cup especially valuable. We may translate, for example, “my silver cup” or “my drinking bowl, the one made of silver.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “my cup, you know, the silver one.” In many areas people drink from gourds, wooden bowls, or clay bowls and not cups. However, silver is nearly universally known, and the idea of a drinking cup or bowl made of silver is not difficult to imagine.

In the mouth of the sack of the youngest: that is, “in the top of the grain sack of the youngest brother.”

With his money for the grain: that is, “along with the money he paid for the grain.” See Good News Translation.

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 .