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Genesis 42

1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

Commentary · verses 1-2

Jacob sent his sons to Egypt so "that we may live, and not die." The famine reached the land of Canaan.

3And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.

4But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure harm befall him.

3And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

4But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

Commentary · verses 3-4

Benjamin was not sent, just the ten sons who sold Joseph into slavery.

5And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.

7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Commentary · verses 5-7

Joseph acted differently so his brothers would not recognize him.

8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

13And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

Commentary · verses 8-13

Joseph repeatedly stressed them until they panicked and mentioned the youngest brother was with their father.

14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 15hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

15Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

Commentary · verses 14-15

Joseph wanted to see his brother Benjamin. Was this because Joseph was trying to make his dream from Genesis 37:9 come to pass? Only ten of the "stars" were bowing down to him. In order for that dream to come to pass, he needed all eleven of the "stars" present so they could bow down to him. Or was it just because Joseph missed his brother Benjamin?

16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

17And he put them all together into ward three days.

16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

17And he put them all together into ward three days.

Commentary · verses 16-17

Joseph started this process by negotiating that one of the brothers returned to fetch Benjamin. Then Joseph jailed his ten brothers for three days. Was this Justice for selling him into slavery for fifteen years?

18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: 19if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses: 20and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

19If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

Commentary · verses 18-20

Joseph renegotiated and offered them a deal that involved him keeping only one of the brothers in jail while the other nine went back to Canaan.

21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.

21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

Commentary · verses 21-22

The brothers felt guilty for how they treated Joseph. All these years later, they weren't able to forget. Reuben essentially said, "I told you so!"

23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

Commentary · verses 23-24

Joseph took and bound Simeon right in front of the other nine brothers.

25Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus was it done unto them.

26And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God hath done unto us?

25Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

26And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.

28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

Commentary · verses 25-28

They were blessed and they were afraid of God.

29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying, 30The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: 32we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way; 34and bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.

29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

Commentary · verses 29-34

Joseph kept Simeon while they went to bring Benjamin back.

35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

Commentary · verses 35-36

Jacob was in distress. He was focused on himself. Was he referred to as Jacob instead of Israel because he was not handling this situation well?

37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Commentary · verses 37-38

Apparently, Reuben still felt guilty about selling Joseph and was willing to make up for it.

Commentary · verse 38

Genesis 40-42 covered Joseph's promotion to Pharaoh's #2 man over all of Egypt. We also saw that Jacob sent all of his sons (except for Benjamin) to Egypt to buy food. Joseph, whom the brothers did not recognize, kept Simeon and told the rest of his brothers to bring Benjamin back to him.

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