Bereshis 42:19

19 If ye be truthful ones, let one of your achim be bound in your bais mishmar; go ye, carry grain for the ra’avon (famine of) bateichem (your house);

Bereshis 42:19 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 42:19

If ye [be] true [men]
As you say you are: let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison;
agree among yourselves which of you (for one of you must) remain in prison where you are: and the rest being set at liberty, go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses;
Joseph, though he dealt with them after this manner to get what knowledge he could of his family, and to get sight of his brother, yet was concerned for the good of them and theirs, lest they should be in extreme want through the famine, and that they might have a speedy supply of corn, was not willing to detain them any longer.

Bereshis 42:19 In-Context

17 And he put them all together el-mishmar (in custody) shloshet yamim.

18 And Yosef said unto them on the Yom HaShlishi [see 1C 15:4 OJBC], This do, and live; for I fear HaElohim:

19 If ye be truthful ones, let one of your achim be bound in your bais mishmar; go ye, carry grain for the ra’avon (famine of) bateichem (your house);

20 But bring achichem hakaton unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 And they said one to another, Surely we are ashemim (guilty ones) because of achinu (our brother), in that we saw the tzoros of his nefesh, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this tzoros come upon us.