Genesis 42:16-26

16 "Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is ¹truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."

17 So he put them all together in ²prison for three days.

18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for ³I fear God:

19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison *; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households,

20 and ⁴bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so.

21 Then they said to one another, "⁵Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore * this distress has come upon us."

22 Reuben answered them, saying, "⁶Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy '; and you would not listen? ⁷Now * comes the reckoning for his blood."

23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

24 He turned away from them and ⁸wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he ⁹took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

25 ¹⁰Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.

Genesis 42:16-26 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. Genesis 42:11
• 2. Genesis 40:4, 7
• 3. Genesis 39:9; Leviticus 25:43; Nehemiah 5:15
• 4. Genesis 42:34; Genesis 43:5; Genesis 44:23
• 5. Genesis 37:26-28; Genesis 45:3; Hosea 5:15
• 6. Genesis 37:21, 22
• 7. Genesis 9:5, 6; 1 Kings 2:32; 2 Chronicles 24:22; Psalms 9:12
• 8. Genesis 43:30; Genesis 45:14, 15
• 9. Genesis 43:14, 23
• 10. Genesis 44:1; Rom 12:17, 20, 21; 1 Peter 3:9

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "the house of your prison"
• [b] Lit "you saying"
• [c] Lit "And behold, his blood also is required"