1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 And 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.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And 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.
7 And 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.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And 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.
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13 And 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.
14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 Send 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.
17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
19 If 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:
20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And 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.
22 And 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.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
24 And 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.
25 Then 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.
26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
27 And 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.
28 And 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?
29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And 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:
34 And 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.
35 And 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.
36 And 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.
37 And 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.
38 And 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.
1 Now when Jacob H3290 saw H7200 that there was H3426 corn H7668 in Egypt, H4714 Jacob H3290 said H559 unto his sons, H1121 Why do ye look H7200 one upon another?
2 And he said, H559 Behold, I have heard H8085 that there is H3426 corn H7668 in Egypt: H4714 get you down H3381 thither, and buy H7666 for us from thence; that we may live, H2421 and not die. H4191
3 And Joseph's H3130 ten H6235 brethren H251 went down H3381 to buy H7666 corn H1250 in Egypt. H4714
4 But Benjamin, H1144 Joseph's H3130 brother, H251 Jacob H3290 sent H7971 not with his brethren; H251 for he said, H559 Lest peradventure H6435 mischief H611 befall him. H7122
5 And the sons H1121 of Israel H3478 came H935 to buy H7666 corn among H8432 those that came: H935 for the famine H7458 was in the land H776 of Canaan. H3667
6 And Joseph H3130 was the governor H7989 over the land, H776 and he it was that sold H7666 to all the people H5971 of the land: H776 and Joseph's H3130 brethren H251 came, H935 and bowed down H7812 themselves before him with their faces H639 to the earth. H776
7 And Joseph H3130 saw H7200 his brethren, H251 and he knew H5234 them, but made himself strange H5234 unto them, and spake H1696 roughly H7186 unto them; and he said H559 unto them, Whence H370 come H935 ye? And they said, H559 From the land H776 of Canaan H3667 to buy H7666 food. H400
8 And Joseph H3130 knew H5234 his brethren, H251 but they knew H5234 not him.
9 And Joseph H3130 remembered H2142 the dreams H2472 which he dreamed H2492 of them, and said H559 unto them, Ye are spies; H7270 to see H7200 the nakedness H6172 of the land H776 ye are come. H935
10 And they said H559 unto him, Nay, my lord, H113 but to buy H7666 food H400 are thy servants H5650 come. H935
11 We H5168 are all one H259 man's H376 sons; H1121 we are true H3651 men, thy servants H5650 are no spies. H7270
12 And he said H559 unto them, Nay, but to see H7200 the nakedness H6172 of the land H776 ye are come. H935
13 And they said, H559 Thy servants H5650 are twelve H8147 H6240 brethren, H251 the sons H1121 of one H259 man H376 in the land H776 of Canaan; H3667 and, behold, the youngest H6996 is this day H3117 with our father, H1 and one H259 is not.
14 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto them, That is it that I spake H1696 unto you, saying, H559 Ye are spies: H7270
15 Hereby H2063 ye shall be proved: H974 By the life H2416 of Pharaoh H6547 ye shall not go forth H3318 hence, except your youngest H6996 brother H251 come H935 hither.
16 Send H7971 one H259 of you, and let him fetch H3947 your brother, H251 and ye shall be kept in prison, H631 that your words H1697 may be proved, H974 whether there be any truth H571 in H854 you: or else H3808 by the life H2416 of Pharaoh H6547 surely ye are spies. H7270
17 And he put them all together H622 into ward H4929 three H7969 days. H3117
18 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto them the third H7992 day, H3117 This do, H6213 and live; H2421 for I fear H3373 God: H430
19 If ye be true H3651 men, let one H259 of your brethren H251 be bound H631 in the house H1004 of your prison: H4929 go H3212 ye, carry H935 corn H7668 for the famine H7459 of your houses: H1004
20 But bring H935 your youngest H6996 brother H251 unto me; so shall your words H1697 be verified, H539 and ye shall not die. H4191 And they did H6213 so.
21 And they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 We are verily H61 guilty H818 concerning our brother, H251 in that H834 we saw H7200 the anguish H6869 of his soul, H5315 when he besought H2603 us, and we would not hear; H8085 therefore is this distress H6869 come H935 upon us.
22 And Reuben H7205 answered H6030 them, saying, H559 Spake I H559 not unto you, saying, H559 Do not sin H2398 against the child; H3206 and ye would not hear? H8085 therefore, behold, also his blood H1818 is required. H1875
23 And they knew H3045 not that Joseph H3130 understood H8085 them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. H3887
24 And he turned himself about H5437 from them, and wept; H1058 and returned to them again, H7725 and communed H1696 with them, and took H3947 from them Simeon, H8095 and bound H631 him before their eyes. H5869
25 Then Joseph H3130 commanded H6680 to fill H4390 their sacks H3627 with corn, H1250 and to restore H7725 every man's H376 money H3701 into his sack, H8242 and to give H5414 them provision H6720 for the way: H1870 and thus H3651 did he H6213 unto them.
26 And they laded H5375 their asses H2543 with the corn, H7668 and departed H3212 thence.
27 And as one H259 of them opened H6605 his sack H8242 to give H5414 his ass H2543 provender H4554 in the inn, H4411 he espied H7200 his money; H3701 for, behold, it was in his sack's H572 mouth. H6310
28 And he said H559 unto his brethren, H251 My money H3701 is restored; H7725 and, lo, H2009 it is even in my sack: H572 and their heart H3820 failed H3318 them, and they were afraid, H2729 saying H559 one H376 to another, H251 What is this that God H430 hath done H6213 unto us?
29 And they came H935 unto Jacob H3290 their father H1 unto the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and told H5046 him all that befell H7136 unto them; saying, H559
30 The man, H376 who is the lord H113 of the land, H776 spake H1696 roughly H7186 to us, and took H5414 us for spies H7270 of the country. H776
31 And we said H559 unto him, We are true H3651 men; we are no spies: H7270
32 We be twelve H6240 H8147 brethren, H251 sons H1121 of our father; H1 one H259 is not, and the youngest H6996 is this day H3117 with our father H1 in the land H776 of Canaan. H3667
33 And the man, H376 the lord H113 of the country, H776 said H559 unto us, Hereby shall I know H3045 that ye are true H3651 men; leave H3240 one H259 of your brethren H251 here with me, and take H3947 food for the famine H7459 of your households, H1004 and be gone: H3212
34 And bring H935 your youngest H6996 brother H251 unto me: then shall I know H3045 that ye are no spies, H7270 but that ye are true H3651 men: so will I deliver H5414 you your brother, H251 and ye shall traffick H5503 in the land. H776
35 And it came to pass as they emptied H7324 their sacks, H8242 that, behold, every man's H376 bundle H6872 of money H3701 was in his sack: H8242 and when both they and their father H1 saw H7200 the bundles H6872 of money, H3701 they were afraid. H3372
36 And Jacob H3290 their father H1 said H559 unto them, Me have ye bereaved H7921 of my children: Joseph H3130 is not, and Simeon H8095 is not, and ye will take H3947 Benjamin H1144 away: all these things are against me.
37 And Reuben H7205 spake H559 unto his father, H1 saying, H559 Slay H4191 my two H8147 sons, H1121 if I bring H935 him not to thee: deliver H5414 him into my hand, H3027 and I will bring him to thee again. H7725
38 And he said, H559 My son H1121 shall not go down H3381 with you; for his brother H251 is dead, H4191 and he is left H7604 alone: if mischief H611 befall H7122 him by the way H1870 in the which ye go, H3212 then shall ye bring down H3381 my gray hairs H7872 with sorrow H3015 to the grave. H7585
1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 And 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.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest Peradventure harm befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And 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.
7 And 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.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 And 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.
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13 And 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.
14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 Send 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.
17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live: for I fear God:
19 if 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:
20 and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And 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.
22 And 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.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 And 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.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the way: and thus was it done unto them.
26 And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.
27 And 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.
28 And 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?
29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
30 The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 And we said unto him, We are true men; and we are no spies:
32 we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And 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;
34 and 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.
35 And 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.
36 And 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.
37 And 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.
38 And 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.
1 And Jacob seeth that there is corn in Egypt, and Jacob saith to his sons, `Why do you look at each other?'
2 he saith also, `Lo, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, go down thither, and buy for us from thence, and we live and do not die;'
3 and the ten brethren of Joseph go down to buy corn in Egypt,
4 and Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob hath not sent with his brethren, for he said, `Lest mischief meet him.'
5 And the sons of Israel come to buy in the midst of those coming, for the famine hath been in the land of Canaan,
6 and Joseph is the ruler over the land, he who is selling to all the people of the land, and Joseph's brethren come and bow themselves to him -- face to the earth.
7 And Joseph seeth his brethren, and discerneth them, and maketh himself strange unto them, and speaketh with them sharp things, and saith unto them, `From whence have ye come?' and they say, `From the land of Canaan -- to buy food.'
8 And Joseph discerneth his brethren, but they have not discerned him,
9 and Joseph remembereth the dreams which he dreamed of them, and saith unto them, `Ye `are' spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye have come.'
10 And they say unto him, `No, my lord, but thy servants have come to buy food;
11 we `are' all of us sons of one man, we `are' right men; thy servants have not been spies;'
12 and he saith unto them, `No, but the nakedness of the land ye have come to see;'
13 and they say, `Thy servants `are' twelve brethren; we `are' sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and lo, the young one `is' with our father to-day, and the one is not.'
14 And Joseph saith unto them, `This `is' that which I have spoken unto you, saying, Ye `are' spies,
15 by this ye are proved: Pharaoh liveth! if ye go out from this -- except by your young brother coming hither;
16 send one of you, and let him bring your brother, and ye, remain ye bound, and let your words be proved, whether truth be with you: and if not -- Pharaoh liveth! surely ye `are' spies;'
17 and he removeth them unto charge three days.
18 And Joseph saith unto them on the third day, `This do and live; God I fear!
19 if ye `are' right men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your ward, and ye, go, carry in corn `for' the famine of your houses,
20 and your young brother ye bring unto me, and your words are established, and ye die not;' and they do so.
21 And they say one unto another, `Verily we `are' guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, in his making supplication unto us, and we did not hearken: therefore hath this distress come upon us.'
22 And Reuben answereth them, saying, `Spake I not unto you, saying, Sin not against the lad? and ye hearkened not; and his blood also, lo, it is required.'
23 And they have not known that Joseph understandeth, for the interpreter `is' between them;
24 and he turneth round from them, and weepeth, and turneth back unto them, and speaketh unto them, and taketh from them Simeon, and bindeth him before their eyes.
25 And Joseph commandeth, and they fill their vessels `with' corn, also to put back the money of each unto his sack, and to give to them provision for the way; and one doth to them so.
26 And they lift up their corn upon their asses, and go from thence,
27 and the one openeth his sack to give provender to his ass at a lodging-place, and he seeth his money, and lo, it `is' in the mouth of his bag,
28 and he saith unto his brethren, `My money hath been put back, and also, lo, in my bag:' and their heart goeth out, and they tremble, one to another saying, `What `is' this God hath done to us!'
29 And they come in unto Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and they declare to him all the things meeting them, saying,
30 `The man, the lord of the land, hath spoken with us sharp things, and maketh us as spies of the land;
31 and we say unto him, We `are' right men, we have not been spies,
32 we `are' twelve brethren, sons of our father, the one is not, and the young one `is' to-day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 `And the man, the lord of the land, saith unto us, By this I know that ye `are' right men -- one of your brethren leave with me, and `for' the famine of your houses take ye and go,
34 and bring your young brother unto me, and I know that ye `are' not spies, but ye `are' right men; your brother I give to you, and ye trade with the land.'
35 And it cometh to pass, they are emptying their sacks, and lo, the bundle of each man's silver `is' in his sack, and they see their bundles of silver, they and their father, and are afraid;
36 and Jacob their father saith unto them, `Me ye have bereaved; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and Benjamin ye take -- against me have been all these.'
37 And Reuben speaketh unto his father, saying, `My two sons thou dost put to death, if I bring him not in unto thee; give him into my hand, and I -- I bring him back unto thee;'
38 and he saith, `My son doth not go down with you, for his brother `is' dead, and he by himself is left; when mischief hath met him in the way in which ye go, then ye have brought down my grey hairs in sorrow to sheol.'
1 And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy [grain] for us from thence, in order that we may live, and not die.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy [grain] out of Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest mischief may befall him.
5 So the sons of Israel came to buy [grain] among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph, he was the governor over the land -- he it was that sold [the corn] to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came and bowed down to him, the face to the earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they did not know him.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamt of them; and he said to them, Ye are spies: to see the exposed places of the land ye are come.
10 And they said to him, No, my lord; but to buy food are thy servants come.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest: thy servants are not spies.
12 And he said to them, No; but to see the exposed places of the land are ye come.
13 And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, sons of one man, in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
14 And Joseph said to them, That is it that I have spoken to you, saying, Ye are spies.
15 By this ye shall be put to the proof: as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither!
16 Send one of you, that he may fetch your brother, but ye shall be imprisoned, and your words shall be put to the proof, whether the truth is in you; and if not, as Pharaoh lives, ye are spies.
17 And he put them in custody three days.
18 And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, that ye may live: I fear God.
19 If ye are honest, let one of your brethren remain bound in the house of your prison, but go ye, carry grain for the hunger of your households;
20 and bring your youngest brother to me, in order that your words be verified, and that ye may not die. And they did so.
21 Then they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the lad? But ye did not hearken; and now behold, his blood also is required.
23 And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.
24 And he turned away from them, and wept. And he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way. And thus did they to them.
26 And they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.
27 And one of them opened his sack to give his ass food in the inn, and saw his money, and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 And he said to his brethren, My money is returned [to me], and behold, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed [them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this [that] God has done to us?
29 And they came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
30 The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and treated us as spies of the land.
31 And we said to him, We are honest; we are not spies:
32 we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, Hereby shall I know that ye are honest: leave one of your brethren with me, and take [for] the hunger of your households, and go,
34 and bring your youngest brother to me, and I shall know that ye are not spies, but are honest. Your brother will I give up to you; and ye may trade in the land.
35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man had his bundle of money in his sack; and they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are against me.
37 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not back to thee: give him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
38 But he said, My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if mischief should befall him by the way in which ye go, then would ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.
1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"
2 He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die."
3 Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob didn't send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm happen to him."
5 The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
7 Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."
8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.
9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."
10 They said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies."
12 He said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land."
13 They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."
14 Joseph said to them, "It is like I told you, saying, 'You are spies.'
15 Hereby you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh you shall not go forth from here, unless your youngest brother come here.
16 Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies."
17 He put them all together into custody three days.
18 Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this, and live, for I fear God.
19 If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison-house; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won't die." They did so.
21 They said one to another, "We are most assuredly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come on us."
22 Reuben answered them, saying, "Didn't I tell you, saying, 'Don't sin against the child,' and you wouldn't listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required."
23 They didn't know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 He turned himself about from them, and wept, and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it done to them.
26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging-place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 He said to his brothers, "My money is restored! Behold, it is even in my sack." Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"
29 They came to Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 "The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are no spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'
33 The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'Hereby will I know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'"
35 It happened as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."
37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons, if I don't bring him to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again."
38 He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him by the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
1 Now Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you looking at one another?
2 And he said, I have had news that there is grain in Egypt: go down there and get grain for us, so that life and not death may be ours.
3 So Joseph's ten brothers went down to get grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them, for fear, as he said, that some evil might come to him.
5 And the sons of Israel came with all the others to get grain: for they were very short of food in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was ruler over all the land, and it was he who gave out the grain to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brothers came before him and went down on their faces to the earth.
7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, it was clear to him who they were, but he made himself strange to them, and talking roughly to them, said, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to get food.
8 Now though Joseph saw that these were his brothers, they had no idea who he was.
9 Then the memory of his dreams about them came back to Joseph, and he said to them, You have come secretly to see how poor the land is.
10 And they said to him, Not so, my lord: your servants have come with money to get food.
11 We are all one man's sons, we are true men; we have not come with any secret purpose.
12 And he said to them, No, but you have come to see how poor the land is.
13 Then they said, We your servants are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest of us is now with our father, and one is dead.
14 And Joseph said, It is as I said; you have come with some secret purpose;
15 But in this way will you be put to the test: by the life of Pharaoh, you will not go away from this place till your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of your number to get your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are true; if not, by the life of Pharaoh, your purpose is certainly secret.
17 So he put them in prison for three days.
18 And on the third day Joseph said to them, Do this, if you would keep your lives: for I am a god-fearing man:
19 If you are true men, let one of you be kept in prison, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families;
20 And come back to me with your youngest brother, so that your words may be seen to be true, and you will not be put to death. This is what you are to do.
21 And they said to one another, Truly, we did wrong to our brother, for we saw his grief of mind, and we did not give ear to his prayers; that is why this trouble has come on us.
22 And Reuben said to them, Did I not say to you, Do the child no wrong? but you gave no attention; so now, punishment has come on us for his blood.
23 They were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language.
24 And turning away from them, he was overcome with weeping; then he went on talking to them again and took Simeon and put chains on him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph gave orders for their bags to be made full of grain, and for every man's money to be put back into his bag, and for food to be given them for the journey: which was done.
26 Then they put the bags of grain on their asses and went away.
27 Now at their night's resting-place one of them, opening his bag to give his ass some food, saw his money in the mouth of the bag.
28 And he said to his brothers, My money has been given back: it is in my bag; then their hearts became full of fear, and turning to one another they said, What is this which God has done to us?
29 So when they came to Jacob their father, in the land of Canaan, they gave him an account of all their experiences, saying,
30 The man who is the ruler of the country was rough with us and put us in prison, saying that we had come with a secret evil purpose.
31 And we said to him, We are true men, we have no evil designs;
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is dead, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And the ruler of the land said, In this way I may be certain that you are true men; let one of you be kept here with me, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families;
34 And come back to me with your youngest brother: then I will be certain that you are true men, and I will give your brother back to you and let you do trade in the land.
35 And when they took the grain out of their bags, it was seen that every man's parcel of money was in his bag; and when they and their father saw the money, they were full of fear.
36 And Jacob their father said to them, You have taken my children from me: Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin away; all these things have come on me.
37 And Reuben said, Put my two sons to death if I do not come back to you with him; let him be in my care and I will give him safely back to you.
38 And he said, I will not let my son go down with you; for his brother is dead and he is all I have: if evil overtakes him on the journey, then through you will my grey head go down to the underworld in sorrow.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Genesis 42
Commentary on Genesis 42 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 42
This chapter relates how that Jacob having heard there was corn in Egypt, sent all his sons but Benjamin thither to buy corn, Genesis 42:1; and coming before Joseph, they bowed to him, and he knowing them, though they knew not him, spoke roughly to them, and charged them with being spies, Genesis 42:6; they in their defence urged that they were the sons of one man in Canaan, with whom their youngest brother was left, on which Joseph ordered them to send for him, to prove them true men, Genesis 42:10; and put them all into prison for three days, and then released them, and sent them away to fetch their brother, Genesis 42:17; this brought to mind their treatment of Joseph, and they confessed their guilt to each other, which Joseph heard, and greatly affected him, they supposing he understood them not, and before he dismissed them bound Simeon before their eyes, whom he retained till they returned, Genesis 42:21; then he ordered his servants to fill their sacks with corn, and put each man's money in his sack, which one of them on the road found, opening his sack for provender, filled them all with great surprise and fear, Genesis 42:25; upon their return to Jacob they related all that had befallen them, and particularly that the governor insisted on having Benjamin brought to him, Genesis 42:29; their sacks being opened, all their money was found in them, which greatly distressed them and Jacob also, who was very unwilling to let Benjamin go, though Reuben offered his two sons as pledges for him, and himself to be a surety, Genesis 42:35.
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt,.... That is, to be sold there, or otherwise it being there, unless it could be bought, would have been of no avail to foreigners; wherefore the Septuagint version is, that there was a saleF23יבר πρασις Sept. "frumentum venale", Schmidt; so Ainsworth, and the Targum of Jonathan. there, a sale of corn; the word has the signification of "breaking"F24"Fractio", Montanus, Munster, Piscator. in it, because that bread corn is broke in the mill, or is broken from the heap when sold or distributed, or because when eaten it breaks the fast. Now Jacob had either seen persons passing by with corn, of whom he inquired from whence they had it, who replied, from Egypt; or he understood by the report of others that corn was to be bought there; though some of the Jewish writers would have it, as Jarchi observes, that he saw it by the revelation of the Holy Spirit:
Jacob said unto, his sons, why do ye look one upon another? like persons in surprise, distress and despair, at their wits' end, not knowing what to do, what course to take, and which way to turn themselves, and scarce able to speak to one another, and consult with each other what was proper to be done; for it seems not so agreeable that they should be charged as idle persons, careless and unconcerned, indifferent and inactive; but rather, if the other sense is not acceptable, the meaning may be, "why do ye look?"F25למה תתראו "ut quid circumspicitis", Schmidt. here and there, in the land of Canaan, where it is to no purpose to look for corn; look where it is to be had.
And he said, behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt,.... This explains what is meant by the phrase he saw, one sense being put for another:
get ye down thither; as fast as you can without delay; Egypt lay lower than Canaan, and therefore they are bid to go down, as when they went from thence to Canaan they are said to go up, Genesis 45:25,
and buy for us from thence, that we may live, and not die; which shows the famine was very pressing, since, unless they could buy corn from Egypt they could not live, but must die.
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. They obeyed their father's orders, and immediately set out for Egypt; "ten" of them went down in a body together, all but Benjamin, so that it is easily reckoned who they were, and they are called not Jacob's sons, as they were; but Joseph's brethren, whom they had sold into Egypt, and to whom now they were going, though they knew it not, to buy corn of him in their necessity, and to whom they would be obliged to yield obeisance, as they did.
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren,.... Benjamin is called Joseph's brother, because he was so both by father and mother's side, as the rest were not; him Jacob kept with him, being the youngest and his darling, the only son he had with him of his beloved wife Rachel; and was very probably the more beloved by him since he had been bereft of Joseph; and it was not only to keep him company that he retained him at home, but for the reason following:
for he said, lest peradventure mischief befall him; as had to Joseph his brother, as he imagined; either that the journey would be too much for him, being young, or lest he should be seized with sickness on the road, or rather with death, as Aben Ezra interprets it according to the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan.
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came,.... Either among the Egyptians that came to buy, or among those who came from different countries, or rather particularly among the Canaanites, as the Targum of Jonathan; with these they might join upon the road, and go together in a body where the market for corn was:
for the famine was in the land of Canaan: which obliged the inhabitants of it as well as Jacob's family to seek for corn elsewhere, and confirms the sense of the preceding clause: this, though a very fruitful land, yet when God withheld a blessing from it, it became barren, as it had been before, Genesis 12:10, and was to try the faith of those good men to whom God had given it, and to wean their hearts from being set upon it, and to put them upon seeking a better country, as they did.
And Joseph was the governor over the land,.... Not the land of Canaan last mentioned, but the land of Egypt; under Pharaoh, he had the chief and sole authority, and especially in the affair of the corn, and the disposal of that:
and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: of Egypt, and also to all that came out of other lands; not that he in person could do all this, but by those that acted under him:
and Joseph's brethren came; to Joseph to buy corn of him:
and bowed down themselves before him, with their faces to the earth; not only bowed the knee as the Egyptians did, but prostrated their whole bodies, stretching out their hands and feet, and touching the ground with their faces, as was the manner of the eastern countries, at least some of them; and so of Canaan; and thus did they submit themselves to him in the most humble manner, and thereby, though without their knowledge, fulfilled his dream of their sheaves making obeisance to his sheaf, Genesis 37:7.
And Joseph saw his brethren,.... Among those that came to buy corn, and when they prostrated themselves before him:
and he knew them; some of them being at man's estate, and their beards grown when they sold him, and their habits and dress now being much the same it was then, and by them he knew the younger:
but made himself strange unto them; took no notice of them as his relations, but carried himself to them as he did to other foreigners, and yet more strangely:
and spake roughly unto them; or hardF26קשות "dura", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Piscator, Schmidt. things or words; put on a stern countenance, and spoke with a high tone and in a rough surly manner to them:
and he said unto them, whence come ye? who are ye? of what country are ye? what is your business here?
and they said, from the land of Canaan to buy food; which they could not get in Canaan, the famine being there so great.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. It being about twenty two years since they saw him, and then he was young, and his beard not grown, as now it was; and besides, he was clothed as a prince, and spoke the Egyptian language; and being in such great grandeur and splendour, and in such power and authority, and having such a retinue attending him, they never once thought of him, whom they supposed might be dead, having never heard of him all this time; or, however, it could not come into their minds, that he whom they sold for a slave could ever be governor of the land of Egypt.
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them,.... Their bowing and prostrating themselves before him brought to his remembrance his dreams of their sheaves making obeisance to his, and of the sun, moon, and eleven stars, doing the same to him, Genesis 37:7,
and said unto them, ye are spies; not believing they were, nor absolutely asserting that they were such; but this he said to try them, and what they would say for themselves, and in order to lead on to further discourse with them, and to get knowledge of his father and brother Benjamin, whether living or not: he dealt with them as a judge on the bench, when examining persons, whose charges have the nature of an interrogation, as this has: "ye are spies"; are ye not? surely ye must be, and unless you give a better account of yourselves, I must take you up as such:
to see the nakedness of the land ye are come: what parts of it are weakest, most defenceless, and less fortified, and most easy to break in at, and invade the land; and it was not without reason that the Egyptians might suspect the neighbouring nations round about them, being in distress, and hearing of corn in Egypt, of forming a design of coming upon them and taking away their corn by force, and might be the reason why foreigners that came to buy corn were brought before Joseph and examined by him.
And they said unto him, nay, my lord,.... One in the name of the rest, or each in his turn, denying that they were spies, and addressing him with the greatest reverence and submission, calling him their lord, and thus further accomplishing his dreams:
but to buy food are thy servants come; that and no other was the errand they came upon.
We are all one man's sons,.... Therefore not likely to be spies; it could hardly be thought that a single family should engage in such an affair; or that one man would, send his sons as spies, and especially all of them, it being a dangerous affair, and they being liable to be taken up and put to death; and as more families than one must be concerned in such an enterprise, it is reasonable to suppose, that if they had been spies they would have been of different families, and also not together, but in different parts of the kingdom, to observe the fittest place to enter in at and execute their design:
we are true men: that spoke truth when they said they came to buy corn; were honest, upright, and sincere in what they said, nor would they, nor durst they, tell a lie:
thy servants are no spies; this they expressed in the strongest terms, and with the fullest assurance they could, detesting the charge and character of being spies.
And he said unto them, nay,.... This argument will not do, I am not to be put off with such words as these; if you can produce no better proof of your being honest men than this, or give no better account of yourselves, I must abide by it, that:
to see the nakedness of the land ye are come; this he urged in order to get a further account from them of their family and the state of it, which he was anxious to know.
And they said, thy servants are twelve brethren,.... Or rather, "were twelve", since one afterwards is said not to be:
the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; of Jacob, who dwelt there; this is said with the same view as before, to show the improbability of their being spies:
and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father: meaning Benjamin, whom Joseph was eager to hear of, and no doubt was glad to hear he was alive, and his father also, and that they were both together in the land of Canaan:
and one is not; is not in the land of the living, is dead; for so they thought Joseph was, who is the person intended, as appears from what both Reuben and Judah afterwards say, Genesis 42:22; and yet he was before them, and was the person they were speaking to: this must be very striking and affecting to Joseph, who knew full well they meant himself.
And Joseph said unto them, that is it that I spake unto you, saying, ye are spies. This proves it, at least gives strong suspicion of it; since at first they seemed to speak of themselves, as if they were the only sons of one man and there were no more, now they speak of twelve, and make mention of one being at home with his father; but seeing he sent so many of them, why not all? why should one only be left at home?
Hereby ye shall be proved,.... Whether spies, or not, namely, by producing their youngest brother, said to be at home with his father:
by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither: the phrase, "by the life of Pharaoh", seems to be the form of an oath, as it was common with many nations, especially with the Scythians, who used to swear by the royal throneF1Herodot. Melpomene, sive, l. 4. c. 68. , and the Romans, in later times, by the life, health, and genius of their emperor; and this custom of swearing by the life of their king, or by his head, continued with the Egyptians, as Aben Ezra says, unto his times; though some take this to be a wish or prayer for the life of Pharaoh, and render it, "may Pharaoh live"F2חי פרעה "vivat Parhoh", Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; so Ainsworth and Lightfoot. , or, at most, but a strong asseveration, that as dear as the life of Pharaoh was to him, so surely they should not stir from the place where they were, unless their youngest brother Benjamin was brought thither.
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother,.... He proposes that one of them might be sent by them to their father's house, and bring, Benjamin down to Egypt:
and ye shall be kept in prison; the rest of them till he came:
that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you; by this it would be seen whether they were men of truth and honesty or not; and should their brother be brought they would appear to be good men and true:
or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely ye are spies; should not their brother they spoke of be produced, it would be a plain case that they were not the honest men they pretended to be, nor did they come merely to buy corn, but had an ill intention.
And he put them all together into ward three days. In order to consult together, and agree who should be sent to fetch their brother; and which it seems probable in this length of time they could not agree upon, no one caring to be the bringer of such evil tidings to their father.
And Joseph said unto them the third day,.... His heart yearning towards them, though he put on such an appearance; finding they could not come to an agreement among themselves who should go on the errand, he thought fit to recede from his former order, and to give them another:
this do, and live: meaning what he was about to say to them, which if they punctually observed and performed, it would be the means of saving their lives:
for I fear God; and therefore would not do either an unjust or cruel thing. This might have given them an him who he was: but there being among the Gentiles, in all nations, some few that feared God, they took no further notice of it than this, that they might expect just and equitable dealings by him; since, though he was in such an high place, he knew and owned there was one higher than he, to whom he was accountable.
If ye be true men,.... As you say you are:
let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison; agree among yourselves which of you (for one of you must) remain in prison where you are: and the rest being set at liberty:
go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses; Joseph, though he dealt with them after this manner to get what knowledge he could of his family, and to get sight of his brother, yet was concerned for the good of them and theirs, lest they should be in extreme want through the famine, and that they might have a speedy supply of corn, was not willing to detain them any longer.
But bring your youngest brother unto me,.... Upon their return for more corn:
so shall your words be verified; that they were true men, and had no ill design upon the land, but were come only to buy corn:
and ye shall not die; as spies, which they were otherwise threatened with; and as it is customary in all nations to put such to death when found out:
and they did so; they left one of their brethren behind; they carried corn to their houses or families in Canaan, and brought their brother Benjamin with them when they returned to Egypt.
And they said one to another,.... Before they went out of the prison, at least while in the presence of Joseph:
we are verily guilty concerning our brother; meaning Joseph, whom they had sold for a slave, and who they supposed was dead through grief and hard servitude; and now being in trouble themselves, it brings to mind the sin they had been guilty of, which, though committed twenty two years ago, was still fresh in their memories, and lay heavy on their consciences; for length of time neither makes sin less, nor the conscience lighter, when it is revived and charged home upon it, and which was aggravated particularly by the following circumstance:
in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; when in the utmost agony, with trembling limbs, and quivering lips, and floods of tears, as they stripped him of his coat, he most earnestly and importunately requested of them they would not put him into the pit, and leave him there; and in the same manner entreated them they would not put him into the hands of strangers, but restore him alive to his father; but they turned a deaf ear to all his cries and entreaties, and hardened themselves against him:
therefore is this distress come upon us; the same measure that was measured by them to him, was now measured to them again, and they were dealt with according to "lex talionis": they cast Joseph into a pit, and now they were committed to a prison; they would not attend to his cries and tears, and the anguish of his soul did not move their pity, and now he is inexorable to them, and will not at least appear to have any compassion on them, or show pity to them; and perhaps their being dealt with in this similar way brought to their remembrance what they had done.
And Reuben answered them,.... Being the eldest, and who had been most concerned for the life of Joseph, and most tender and careful of him:
saying, spake I not unto you, saying, do not sin against the child,
and ye would not hear? it seems by this that Reuben endeavoured to dissuade his brethren from selling Joseph, when they first proposed it, to which they would not attend; since it is certain they did hearken to him as not to kill him directly, as they first consulted, and they hearkened to him to cast him into a pit, where he did not intend he should continue, but till he had an opportunity of taking him out, and returning him to his father: but it seems probable that Reuben was with them when they first spied the Ishmaelites, and proposed to sell Joseph to them, which he objected to, and entreated they would not do it; and perhaps he went out from them, and took a circuit, with a view to get to the pit and take Joseph out, but before he got thither his brethren had taken him out, and sold him: or this may refer to the general advice he always gave them, to do nothing that might endanger the life of Joseph, or be the means of his death, which selling him for a slave he supposed had been:
therefore, behold, also, his blood is required; the Targum of Jonathan adds, "of us"; they were accessary to his death, and guilty of it; for Reuben supposed he was dead, and now they must suffer for it, as a just retaliation, being threatened with death unless they could clear themselves.
And they knew not that Joseph understood them,.... For what is above related they spoke in his presence and hearing; but speaking to one another in the Hebrew language, and he being an Egyptian, as they took him to be, they did not imagine that he could understand them, and therefore were not at all upon their guard in what they said: and what confirmed them in this was:
for he spake unto them by an interpreter; which he the rather chose to do, that they might have no suspicion of him; and which shows, that though there was a likeness between the Hebrew language and the Egyptian in many things, yet in some they differed, and the difference was such that there was need of an interpreter, where the parties did not understand both languages: this interpreter between Joseph and his brethren, according to the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, was Manasseh, the eldest son of Joseph, and so Jarchi; which is very improbable, he being but a child at this time, if not an infant; see Genesis 41:50.
And he turned himself about from them, and wept,.... Hearing his brethren confess their sin and guilt to one another in selling him, and Reuben's affectionate concern for him, it wrought so much upon his affections, being naturally of a tender spirit, that he could no longer act the part he had, and keep up the sternness and severity of his countenance; wherefore he turned his face from them, that they might not discern it, and his back upon them, and went into another room: and after he had given vent to his passion, and composed himself:
and returned to them again, and communed with them; upon the same subject, of going with their corn to Canaan, and bringing their youngest brother with them upon their return, and promising moreover, for their encouragement, a free traffic in the land of Egypt, Genesis 42:34,
and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes; who perhaps was the most cruel and hardhearted among them; and it appears from the affair of Shechem, that he was a man of a fierce and bloody disposition. According to Jarchi, it was he that said to Levi, on sight of Joseph, behold this dreamer cometh; and that it was he that cast him into the pit; and, as the Targum says, advised to kill him: and perhaps Joseph might pitch upon him as the hostage, not only because he had used him more evilly than the rest, but because he might observe he was less concerned, and not so much humbled now for the evil he had done as the rest were; as also he might choose to detain him, as being not so much in his father's affection, because of the affair of Shechem, and so be a less affliction to him than if it was another; and besides, he might fear that being of a perverse and boisterous disposition, he would vehemently oppose the sending of Benjamin into Egypt, which Joseph was so very desirous of: and he bound him in their presence to terrify them, and let them know what they must expect if they did not obey his orders, and the more to humble them for the sin they had been guilty of, and was now upon their minds; though perhaps, as Jarchi observes, when they were gone he let him out, and gave him food and drink; or however might give him some liberty, and use him with mildness and gentleness.
Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn,.... Which was as much as they came for:
and to restore every man's money into his sack; the money paid by each for his quantity of corn delivered to him, not into the person's hands, but to be put into his sack privately, and unknown to him:
and to give them provision for the way; sufficient both for themselves and for their cattle, that they might carry the whole of what corn they bought to their families:
and thus did he unto them; that is, not Joseph, but his steward or deputy, or however the servant that he gave the above order to.
And they laded their asses with the corn,.... Cattle very fit to carry burdens, and no doubt they had each of them one at least:
and departed thence; from the place where Joseph was, and from the land of Egypt.
And as one of them opened his sack,.... According to the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi, this was Levi; but Aben Ezra thinks it is more likely to be Reuben the firstborn, who was one, that is, the first of them:
to give his ass provender in the inn; at which they lay very probably the first night of their journey; a good man regards the life of his beast, and takes care of that as well as of himself, and generally in the first place:
he espied his money; the money which he paid for his corn:
for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth; just as he opened it.
And he said unto his brethren, my money is restored,.... The money paid for the corn is returned:
and, lo, it is even in my sack; this put them all upon opening their sacks, where every man found his money, though not expressed, see Genesis 43:21,
and their heart failed them; through surprise and fear; or "went out"F3ויצא לבם "et exiit cor eorum", Montanus, Drusius, Piscator, Schmidt. front them, as it were, they were ready to faint and swoon away:
and they were afraid; their consciences being awakened, and loaded with the guilt of their former sins, they were afraid that more evil was coming upon them for them; and that this was a scheme laid to entrap them, and that they should be pursued and seized, and fetched back, and charged with a fraud and trick, as going off with their corn without paying for it:
saying one to another, what is this that God hath done unto us? for whoever was the instrument, they concluded the overruling hand of divine Providence was in it, for the further chastisement and correction of them for their iniquity: instead of being thus frightened and distressed, it is very much it did not give them suspicion of Joseph, that he was the person they had been conversing with, and that he had done this in kindness to them; but their minds were so pressed with the guilt of their sin, that they were possessed of nothing but fears and dreadful apprehensions of things, and put the worst construction upon them they could, as men in such circumstances usually do, even fear where no fear is, or no occasion for it.
And they came unto Jacob their father, unto the land of Canaan,.... Without being pursued and fetched back, or retarded in their journey as they might fear:
and told him all that befell unto them; chiefly what befell them while in Egypt:
saying, as follows.
The man, who is the lord of the land,.... Of Egypt; not the king, but the deputy governor of it, whose authority under Pharaoh was very great, and reached to the whole land, and all political affairs, and especially what related to the corn, and the sale of it; he, say they:
spake roughly to us; gave them hard words, and stern looks, and used them in a very rough manner, see Genesis 42:7,
and took us for spies of the country; laid such a charge against them, and treated them as such; or "gave" themF4ויתן "et dedit", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt; "sive tradidit", Fagius, Vatablus. , committed them to prison as such.
And we said unto him, we are true men,.... Honest, upright men, not given to treacherous and treasonable practices, either in the country where they lived, or any other; they came to Egypt with no ill design upon the country, only to buy corn for the relief of their families in necessity:
we are no spies; or never wereF5לא היינו "non fuimus", Montanus; "nunquam fuimus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. : they had never been guilty of such practices, and never charged with anything of that kind; they denied the charge, and detested the character.
We be twelve brethren, sons of our father,.... All brethren by the father's side, though not by the mother's, and by one father; they had been twelve, and were so now, though they knew it not, supposing that one was dead, as is next observed:
one is not; is not alive, but dead; the Targum of Jonathan is,"what is become of one we know not"
and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan; see Genesis 42:13.
And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, hereby shall I know that you are true men,.... This will be a proof and demonstration of it:
leave one of your brethren here with me; as an hostage; they do not say "bound in the prison", Genesis 42:19, as Joseph did, because they would not grieve their father, at least would not tell him of it at once, lest it should too much affect him:
and take food for the famine of your household, and be gone; that is, corn for the relief of their families, being distressed with a famine.
And, bring your youngest brother unto me,.... Their brother Benjamin:
then shall I know that you are no spies, but that you are true men; he knew they were no spies now, but true, honest, upright men, with respect to any designs upon the country; but then he should own and acknowledge them to be such, having such plain proof that what they said was true:
so will I deliver your brother; their brother Simeon, who was left bound; though this circumstance they also here studiously conceal from their father:
and ye shall traffic in the land; not only for corn, but for any other commodity Egypt furnished its neighbours with.
And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks,.... Both those in which were the corn they had bought, and those in which were their provender for their cattle, and provision for themselves:
that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; the same purse, and the same pieces of money, gold or silver, they had paid to the steward:
and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid; the Targum of Jonathan adds,"because of Simeon, whom they had left there;'fearing that they should he charged with theft or fraud, and that Simeon would be put to death; they had opened their sacks before, and found their money in them, but put it up again as it was, in order to open them in their father's presence, from whom they thought proper to conceal this circumstance, lest he should blame them for not returning to the governor with their money upon the first notice of it, when they had travelled but one day's journey; wherefore they make no mention of it in the account of things that befell them, and express their surprise and fear upon finding it when they opened their sacks, as if they had known, nothing of it before; though it may be their fears were renewed and increased by what Jacob might observe to them, as the consequence of it, which they had not so thoroughly considered before.
And Jacob their father said unto them, me have ye bereaved of my children,.... Which looks as if Jacob suspected that they had either sold or slain Joseph, and had done one or the other by Simeon:
Joseph is not, and Simeon is not: neither of them were with him, and both were given up by him as dead, or, as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"of Joseph ye have said an evil beast hath devoured him; and Simeon, ye say, the king of the country hath bound him;'as for Joseph he knew not but he was dead, he feared he was; and as for Simeon, he being in the hands of so rough a man as they had represented the lord of the land to be, and especially as his release depended upon sending Benjamin, which he was determined at present not to do; he was reckoned by him as a lost or dead man:
and ye will take Benjamin away; they were desirous of it, and what their design was he could not tell; he seems to have a strong suspicion that it was not good:
all these things are against me; against his will, his peace, and comfort, and happiness, though they were all working and would work as they did for his good, and for the good of his family, for the preservation of it during the seven years of famine; or are "upon me"F6עלי "super me", Montanus, Schmidt; "vel. in me", V. L. Vatablus. , as heavy burdens, too heavy for him to bear, ready to sink him down to the earth.
And Reuben spoke unto his father,.... Being the eldest son, it most property lay upon him to make answer to his father in the name of his brethren, and to offer a word of comfort to him:
saying, slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; meaning not Simeon, who was in Egypt, but Benjamin, whom it was proposed to take thither, and whom Jacob was very loath to part with; and to persuade him to it Reuben offers to him, and gives him leave to slay his two sons, or rather two of his sonsF7את שני בני "duos filiorum meorum", Piscator; so Ainsworth. , since he had four, Genesis 46:9; if he did not bring Benjamin again to him: this was a strange proposal, for what were two sons of his to his own son, so exceedingly beloved by him? besides, to lose his own son, and to have two of his grandchildren slain, would have been an increase of his sorrow and grief, instead of being an alleviation of it; but Reuben's meaning was, not that his children should be slain, but this he says, to show that he would be as careful and solicitous for the return of Benjamin as if the life of two sons of his lay at stake, and was so confident of it that he could risk the life of them upon it, who were as dear to him as one Benjamin was to his father:
deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again; he undertook to be responsible for him.
And he said, my son shall not go down with you,.... He gives a peremptory denial; this was his then present resolution and determination:
for his brother is dead; meaning Joseph, Benjamin's own brother by father and mother's side; him he supposed to be dead, such circumstances being related and produced, which made it highly probable, and he had not heard anything of him for twenty two years:
and he is left alone; Benjamin being the only surviving child of his dearly beloved Rachel, as he thought:
if mischief befall him by the way in which ye go; that is, to Egypt, whether by thieves and robbers, or by the fatigue of the journey, or by any means whatever, so that he loses his life. All the Targums interpret this mischief of death:
then shall ye bring down my gray heirs with sorrow to the grave; the sense is, should this be the case he should never lift up his head, or have any more comfort in this world, but should pass his time with continual sorrow until his gray head was laid in the grave, or till he came to the state of the dead.