Verses 12:19-20

Index · **Joined:** 08 May 2009, 14:16 **Posts:** 1994

Suggested translation^1,2:

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¹This translation may have been updated from the original suggested translation as a result of the discussions that follow.
²Click on the {verse number} of a translation to see other good translations of the verse.

Linguistic · **Posted:** 02 Feb 2010, 03:25

Quote:

{12:19} And there came a company of travelers; then they sent their water drawer, and he let down his bucket. He said, "Good news! Here is a boy." And they concealed him, [taking him] as merchandise; and God was knowing of what they did.

Actually, one of the interesting aspects of this verse is the use of the article فـ which serves the purpose of rapid succession, as if the events of this story took no time at all. It's a style that implies that God eased Joseph's difficulty quickly

I suggest,
{12:19} And there came a company of travelers; soon they sent their water drawer, and he let down his bucket. He said, "Good news! This is a boy." And they concealed him, [taking him] as merchandise; and God is quite knowledgeable of what they do.

Quote:

{12:20} And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.

I suggest,
{12:20} And they sold him for cheap price, a few Dirhams (silver coins) - and they were with him of the austere.

Pragmatic · **Posted:** 05 Feb 2010, 11:47

Linguistic wrote:

Actually, one of the interesting aspects of this verse is the use of the article فـ which serves the purpose of rapid succession, as if the events of this story took no time at all. It's a style that implies that God eased Joseph's difficulty quickly

I suggest,
{12:19} And there came a company of travelers; soon they sent their water drawer, and he let down his bucket. He said, "Good news! This is a boy." And they concealed him, [taking him] as merchandise; and God is quite knowledgeable of what they do.

Good catch!

The only remark is in the other verse, where "with him of the austere" is a bit heavy, but I don't have a good alternative.

Linguistic · **Posted:** 22 Apr 2014, 22:20

Pragmatic wrote:

The only remark is in the other verse, where "with him of the austere" is a bit heavy, but I don't have a good alternative.

I bet if I use "among" instead of "of", it will be less heavy, no? See if you like this better:

{12:20} And they sold him for a cheap price, a few Dirhams (silver coins), and they were, concerning him, among the austere.

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Verses 12:19-20

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