(19–20) “A caravan came, and they sent their water scout, who let down his bucket. He exclaimed, ‘What good news! Here is a boy!’ They concealed him as merchandise, but Allah knew well what they were doing. They sold him for a paltry price—a few dirhams—and they had little regard for him.”

That is, Joseph remained in the well for as long as he did, until “a caravan came”—that is, a caravan bound for Egypt—“and they sent their water scout,” meaning the man they sent ahead, who would seek out and survey water sources and prepare watering basins and the like for them. The scout “let down his bucket,” and Joseph (peace be upon him) clung to it and emerged. “He exclaimed, ‘What good news! Here is a boy!’” That is, he rejoiced and said, “This is a precious boy.” “They concealed him as merchandise.” His brothers were nearby, so the caravan purchased him from them “for a paltry price”—that is, a very small sum, explained by the words “a few dirhams”—“and they had little regard for him.”

This was because their only aim was to make him disappear and remove him far from his father; they had no desire to obtain payment for him. The meaning is that when the caravan found him, they resolved to keep his case secret and include him among the merchandise they were carrying. Then his brothers came to them and claimed that he was a runaway slave belonging to them. The caravan therefore purchased him from them for that price and obtained firm assurances from them concerning him, lest he escape. Allah knows best.