Chuàngshìjì 42

1 Yǎgè jiàn Āijí yǒu liáng , jiù duì érzi men shuō , nǐmen wèishénme bǐcǐ guàn wàng ne .

2 Wǒ tīngjian Āijí yǒu liáng , nǐmen kĕyǐ xià qù , cóng nàli wéi wǒmen dí xiē lái , shǐ wǒmen kĕyǐ cún huó , búzhìyú sǐ .

3 Yúshì , Yūesè de shí gè gēge dōu xià Āijí dí liáng qù le .

4 Dàn Yūesè de xiōngdi Biànyǎmǐn , Yǎgè méiyǒu dǎfa tā hé gēge men tóng qù , yīnwei Yǎgè shuō , kǒngpà tā zāo haì .

5 Lái dí liáng de rén zhōng yǒu Yǐsèliè de érzi men , yīnwei Jiānán dì yĕ yǒu jīhuāng .

6 Dāngshí zhìlǐ Āijí dì de shì Yūesè . tiào liáng gĕi nà dì zhòng mín de jiù shì tā . Yūesè de gēge men lái le , liǎn fú yú dì , xiàng tā xià baì .

7 Yūesè kànjian tā gēge men , jiù rèn de tāmen , què zhuāng zuò shēngrén , xiàng tāmen shuō xiē yánlì huà , wèn tāmen shuō , nǐmen cóng nǎli lái . tāmen shuō , wǒmen cóng Jiānán dì lái dí liáng .

8 Yūesè rèn de tā gēge men , tāmen què bú rèn de tā .

9 Yūesè xiǎngqǐ cóng qián suǒ zuò de nà liǎng gè mèng , jiù duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen shì jiānxi , lái kuītàn zhè dì de xūshí .

10 Tāmen duì tā shuō , wǒ zhǔ a , bù shì de . púrén men shì dí liáng lái de .

11 Wǒmen dōu shì yī gèrén de érzi , shì chéngshí rén . púrén men bìng bú shì jiānxi .

12 Yūesè shuō , bù rán , nǐmen bì shì kuītàn zhè dì de xūshí lái de .

13 Tāmen shuō , púrén men bĕn shì dìxiōng shí èr rén , shì Jiānán dì yī gèrén de érzi , dǐng xiǎo de xiànjīn zaì wǒmen de fùqin nàli , yǒu yī gè méiyǒu le .

14 Yūesè shuō , wǒ cái shuō nǐmen shì jiānxi , zhè huà shízaì búcuò .

15 Wǒ zhǐ zhe fǎlǎo de xìngméng qǐshì , ruò shì nǐmen de xiǎo xiōngdi bú dào zhèlǐ lái , nǐmen jiù bùdé chū zhè dìfang , cóngcǐ jiù kĕyǐ bǎ nǐmen zhèng yàn chūlai le .

16 Xū yào dǎfa nǐmen zhōngjiān yī gèrén qù , bǎ nǐmen de xiōngdi daì lái . zhìyú nǐmen , dōu yào qiú zaì zhèlǐ , hǎo zhèng yàn nǐmen de huà shè bú zhēn , ruò bù zhēn , wǒ zhǐ zhe fǎlǎo de xìngméng qǐshì , nǐmen yídéng shì jiānxi .

17 Yúshì Yūesè bǎ tāmen dōu xià zaì jiānlǐ sān tiān .

18 Dào le dì sān tiān , Yūesè duì tāmen shuō , wǒ shì jìngwèi shén de . nǐmen zhào wǒde huà xíng jiù kĕyǐ cún huó .

19 Nǐmen rúguǒ shì chéngshí rén , kĕyǐ liú nǐmen zhōngjiān de yī gèrén qiú zaì jiānlǐ , dàn nǐmen kĕyǐ daì zhe liángshi huí qù , jiù nǐmen jiā lǐ de jīhuāng .

20 Bǎ nǐmen de xiǎo xiōngdi daì dào wǒ zhèlǐ lái , rúcǐ , nǐmen de huà biàn yǒu zhèngjù , nǐmen yĕ búzhìyú sǐ . tāmen jiù zhàoyàng ér xíng .

21 Tāmen bǐcǐ shuō , wǒmen zaì xiōngdi shēnshang shízaì yǒu zuì . tā āi qiú wǒmen de shíhou , wǒmen jiàn tā xīnli de chóukǔ , què bù kĕn tīng , suǒyǐ zhè chǎng kǔnàn líndào wǒmen shēnshang .

22 Liúbiàn shuō , wǒ qǐbù shì duì nǐmen shuō guò , bùkĕ shānghaì nà háizi ma . zhǐshì nǐmen bù kĕn tīng , suǒyǐ liú tā xuè de zuì xiàng wǒmen zhuī tǎo .

23 Tāmen bù zhīdào Yūesè tīng de chūlai , yīnwei zaì tāmen zhōngjiān yòng tòng shì chuán huà .

24 Yūesè zhuǎn shēn tuì qù , kū le yī chǎng , yòu huí lái duì tāmen shuōhuà , jiù cóng tāmen zhōngjiān tiǎo chū Xīmiǎn lái , zaì tāmen yǎnqián bǎ tā kúnbǎng .

25 Yūesè fēnfu rén bǎ liángshi zhuāng mǎn tāmende qìjù , bǎ gèrén de yínzi guī hǎi zaì gèrén de kǒudai lǐ , yòu gĕi tāmen lù shǎng yòng de shíwù , rén jiù zhào tāde huà bàn le .

26 Tāmen jiù bǎ liángshi tuó zaì lü shàng , líkāi nàli qù le .

27 Dào le zhù sù de dìfang , tāmen zhōngjiān yǒu yī gèrén dǎkāi kǒudai , yào ná liào wèi lü , cái kànjian zìjǐ de yínzi réng zaì kǒudai lǐ ,

28 Jiù duì dìxiōng men shuō , wǒde yínzi guī hái le , kàn a , réng zaì wǒ kǒudai lǐ . tāmen jiù tí xīn diào dǎn , zhàn zhàn jīng jīng dì bǐcǐ shuō , zhè shì shén xiàng wǒmen zuò shénme ne ,

29 Tāmen lái dào Jiānán dì , tāmende fùqin Yǎgè nàli , jiàng suǒ zāoyù de shì dōu gàosu tā , shuō ,

30 Nà dì de zhǔ duì wǒmen shuō yánlì de huà , bǎ wǒmen dàng zuò kuītàn nà dì de jiānxi .

31 Wǒmen duì tā shuō , wǒmen shì chéngshí rén , bìng bù shì jiānxi .

32 Wǒmen bĕn shì dìxiōng shí èr rén , dōu shì yī gè fùqin de érzi , yǒu yī gè méiyǒu le , dǐng xiǎo de rújīn tóng wǒmen de fùqin zaì Jiānán dì .

33 Nà dì de zhǔ duì wǒmen shuō , ruò yào wǒ zhīdào nǐmen shì chéngshí rén , kĕyǐ liú xià nǐmen zhōngjiān de yī gèrén zaì wǒ zhèlǐ , nǐmen kĕyǐ daì zhe liángshi huí qù , jiù nǐmen jiā lǐ de jīhuāng .

34 Bǎ nǐmen de xiǎo xiōngdi daì dào wǒ zhèlǐ lái , wǒ biàn zhīdào nǐmen bú shì jiānxi , nǎi shì chéngshí rén . zhèyàng , wǒ jiù bǎ nǐmen de dìxiōng jiāo gĕi nǐmen , nǐmen yĕ kĕyǐ zaì zhè dì zuò mǎimaì .

35 Hòulái tāmen dào kǒudai , búliào , gèrén de yín bāo dōu zaì kǒudai lǐ . tāmen hé fùqin kànjian yín bāo jiù dōu haìpà .

36 Tāmende fùqin Yǎgè duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen shǐ wǒ sàngshī wǒde érzi , Yūesè méiyǒu le , Xīmiǎn yĕ méiyǒu le , nǐmen yòu yào jiàng Biànyǎmǐn daì qù . zhèxie shì dōu guī dào wǒ shēnshang le .

37 Liúbiàn duì tā fùqin shuō , wǒ ruò bù daì tā huí lái jiāo gĕi nǐ , nǐ kĕyǐ shā wǒde liǎng gè érzi . zhǐguǎn bǎ tā jiāo zaì wǒ shǒu lǐ , wǒ bì daì tā huí lái jiāo gĕi nǐ .

38 Yǎgè shuō , wǒde érzi bùkĕ yǔ nǐmen yītóng xià qù . tā gēge sǐ le , zhǐ shèngxia tā , tā ruò zaì nǐmen suǒ xíng de lù shàng zāo haì , nà biàn shì nǐmen shǐ wǒ bái fā cāngcāng , bēi bēicǎn cǎn dì xià yīnjiān qù le .

Chuàngshìjì 42 Commentary

Chapter 42

Jacob sends ten sons to buy corn. (1-6) Joseph's treatment of his brethren. (7-20) Their remorse, Simeon detained. (21-24) The rest return with corn. (25-28) Jacob refuses to send Benjamin to Egypt. (29-38)

Verses 1-6 Jacob saw the corn his neighbours had bought in Egypt, and brought home. It is a spur to exertion to see others supplied. Shall others get food for their souls, and shall we starve while it is to be had? Having discovered where help is to be had, we should apply for it without delay, without shrinking from labour, or grudging expense, especially as regards our never-dying souls. There is provision in Christ; but we must come to him, and seek it from him.

Verses 7-20 Joseph was hard upon his brethren, not from a spirit of revenge, but to bring them to repentance. Not seeing his brother Benjamin, he suspected that they had made away with him, and he gave them occasion to speak of their father and brother. God, in his providence, sometimes seems harsh with those he loves, and speaks roughly to those for whom yet he has great mercy in store. Joseph settled at last, that one of them should be left, and the rest go home and fetch Benjamin. It was a very encouraging word he said to them, "I fear God;" as if he had said, You may be assured I will do you no wrong; I dare not, for I know there is one higher than I. With those that fear God, we may expect fair dealing.

Verses 21-24 The office of conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. When the guilt of this sin of Joseph's brethren was fresh, they made light of it, and sat down to eat bread; but now, long afterward, their consciences accused them of it. See the good of afflictions; they often prove the happy means of awakening conscience, and bringing sin to our remembrance. Also, the evil of guilt as to our brethren. Conscience now reproached them for it. Whenever we think we have wrong done us, we ought to remember the wrong we have done to others. Reuben alone remembered with comfort, that he had done what he could to prevent the mischief. When we share with others in their sufferings, it will be a comfort if we have the testimony of our consciences for us, that we did not share in their evil deeds, but in our places witnessed against them. Joseph retired to weep. Though his reason directed that he should still carry himself as a stranger, because they were not as yet humbled enough, yet natural affection could not but work.

Verses 25-28 The brethren came for corn, and corn they had: not only so, but every man had his money given back. Thus Christ, like Joseph, gives out supplies without money and without price. The poorest are invited to buy. But guilty consciences are apt to take good providences in a bad sense; to put wrong meanings even upon things that make for them.

Verses 29-38 Here is the report Jacob's sons made to their father. It troubled the good man. Even the bundles of money Joseph returned, in kindness, to his father, frightened him. He laid the fault upon his sons; knowing them, he feared they had provoked the Egyptians, and wrongfully brought home their money. Jacob plainly distrusted his sons, remembering that he never saw Joseph since he had been with them. It is bad with a family, when children behave so ill that their parents know not how to trust them. Jacob gives up Joseph for gone, and Simeon and Benjamin as in danger; and concludes, All these things are against me. It proved otherwise, that all these things were for him, were working together for his good, and the good of his family. We often think that to be against us, which is really for us. We are afflicted in body, estate, name, and in our relations; and think all these things are against us, whereas they are really working for us a weight of glory. Thus does the Lord Jesus conceal himself and his favour, thus he rebukes and chastens those for whom he has purposes of love. By sharp corrections and humbling convictions he will break the stoutness and mar the pride of the heart, and bring to true repentance. Yet before sinners fully know him, or taste that he is gracious, he consults their good, and sustains their souls, to wait for him. May we do thus, never yielding to discouragement, determining to seek no other refuge, and humbling ourselves more and more under his mighty hand. In due time he will answer our petitions, and do for us more than we can expect.

Chapter Summary

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, Ge 42:1-5; 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, Ge 42:6-9; 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, Ge 42:10-16; and put them all into prison for three days, and then released them, and sent them away to fetch their brother, Ge 42:17-20; 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, Ge 42:21-24; 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, Ge 42:25-28; upon their return to Jacob they related all that had befallen them, and particularly that the governor insisted on having Benjamin brought to him, Ge 42:29-34; 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, Ge 42:35-38.