Kejadian 45:16

45:16 Now it was reported ¹  in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased ²  Pharaoh and his servants.

Ester 2:4

2:4 Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive ³  become queen in place of Vashti.” This seemed like a good idea to the king, ⁴  so he acted accordingly.

Yesaya 19:11

19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; ⁵ 

Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.

How dare you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” ⁶ 

[45:16]  ¹ tn Heb “and the sound was heard.”

[45:16]  ² tn Heb “was good in the eyes of.”

[2:4]  ³ tn Heb “who is good in the eyes of the king.”

[2:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “the matter was good in the eyes of the king.” Cf. TEV “The king thought this was good advice.”

[19:11]  ⁵ tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”

[19:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.