Genesis 42:1-7

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

1 When ¹Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another? ”

2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may ²live and not die. ”

3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, ³Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for ⁴he feared that harm might happen to him.

5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor ⁵over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and ⁶bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and ⁷spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from? ” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food. ”

Genesis 42:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. 42:1 Acts 7:12
• 2. 42:2 ch. 43:8
• 3. 42:4 ch. 35:18
• 4. 42:4 ver. 38
• 5. 42:6 ch. 41:41
• 6. 42:6 ch. 37:7, 9, 10
• 7. 42:7 ver. 30