Genesis 42:1

1 Da aber Jakob sah, daß Getreide in Ägypten feil war, sprach er zu seinen Söhnen: Was sehet ihr euch lange um?

Genesis 42:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 42:1

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 sale ^F23 there, a sale of corn; the word has the signification of "breaking" ^F24 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?" ^F25 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 (rby) (prasiv) Sept. "frumentum venale", Schmidt; so Ainsworth, and the Targum of Jonathan.
F24 "Fractio", Montanus, Munster, Piscator.
F25 (wartt hml) "ut quid circumspicitis", Schmidt.

Genesis 42:1 In-Context

1 Da aber Jakob sah, daß Getreide in Ägypten feil war, sprach er zu seinen Söhnen: Was sehet ihr euch lange um?

2 Siehe, ich höre, es sei in Ägypten Getreide feil; zieht hinab und kauft uns Getreide, daß wir leben und nicht sterben. {~}

3 Also zogen hinab zehn Brüder Josephs, daß sie in Ägypten Getreide kauften.

4 Aber den Benjamin, Josephs Bruder, ließ Jakob nicht mit seinen Brüdern ziehen; denn er sprach: Es möchte ihm ein Unfall begegnen.

5 Also kamen die Kinder Israels, Getreide zu kaufen, samt anderen, die mit ihnen zogen; denn es war im Lande Kanaan auch teuer.