Genesis 42:22-32

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Spoke I not unto you, saying, `Do not sin against the child'; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required."

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them, for he spoke unto them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away from them and wept; and returned to them again and communed with them, and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them.

26 And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence.

27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender at the inn, he espied his money; for behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 And he said unto his brethren, "My money is restored; and lo, it is even in my sack." And their heart failed them and they were afraid, saying one to another, "What is this that God hath done unto us?"

29 And they came unto Jacob their father, unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell them, saying,

30 "The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 And we said unto him, `We are true men; we are no spies.

32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'

Genesis 42:22-32 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.