Genesis 42:31

31 But we said to him, 'We [are] honest; we are not spies.

Genesis 42:31 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 42:31

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 were ^F5: they had never been guilty of such practices, and never charged with anything of that kind; they denied the charge, and detested the character.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wnyyh al) "non fuimus", Montanus; "nunquam fuimus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt.

Genesis 42:31 In-Context

29 And when they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan they told him everything [that] had happened to them, saying,

30 "The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as [if we were] spying out the land.

31 But we said to him, 'We [are] honest; we are not spies.

32 We [are] twelve brothers, the sons of our father. One is no more and the youngest [is] with our father now in the land of Canaan.'

33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you [are] honest. Leave one [brother] with me, and take [food for] the famine in your households and go.