This verse contains two reasons followed by a consequence. The first reason is “they told him everything that Joseph had said to them,” and the second is “he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to bring him to Egypt.”

As a result the spirit of their father … revived; that is, “their father pulled himself together” or “… got over his shock.” Some translations say “his thinking recovered” or “… was all right again.”

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 .