Genesis 42:1-14

1 Now Ya`akov saw that there was grain in Mitzrayim, and Ya`akov said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"

2 He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Mitzrayim. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die."

3 Yosef's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Mitzrayim.

4 But Ya`akov didn't send Binyamin, Yosef's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm befall him."

5 The sons of Yisra'el came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Kana`an.

6 Yosef was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Yosef's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the eretz.

7 Yosef saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?" They said, "From the land of Kana`an to buy food."

8 Yosef recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.

9 Yosef remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."

10 They said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies."

12 He said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land."

13 They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kana`an; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."

14 Yosef said to them, "It is like I told you, saying, 'You are spies.'

Genesis 42:1-14 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.