Genesis 42:3-33

3 descendentes igitur fratres Ioseph decem ut emerent frumenta in Aegypto

4 Beniamin domi retento ab Iacob qui dixerat fratribus eius ne forte in itinere quicquam patiatur mali

5 ingressi sunt terram Aegypti cum aliis qui pergebant ad emendum erat autem fames in terra Chanaan

6 et Ioseph princeps Aegypti atque ad illius nutum frumenta populis vendebantur cumque adorassent eum fratres sui

7 et agnovisset eos quasi ad alienos durius loquebatur interrogans eos unde venistis qui responderunt de terra Chanaan ut emamus victui necessaria

8 et tamen fratres ipse cognoscens non est agnitus ab eis

9 recordatusque somniorum quae aliquando viderat ait exploratores estis ut videatis infirmiora terrae venistis

10 qui dixerunt non est ita domine sed servi tui venerunt ut emerent cibos

11 omnes filii unius viri sumus pacifici venimus nec quicquam famuli tui machinantur mali

12 quibus ille respondit aliter est inmunita terrae huius considerare venistis

13 et illi duodecim inquiunt servi tui fratres sumus filii viri unius in terra Chanaan minimus cum patre nostro est alius non est super

14 hoc est ait quod locutus sum exploratores estis

15 iam nunc experimentum vestri capiam per salutem Pharaonis non egrediemini hinc donec veniat frater vester minimus

16 mittite e vobis unum et adducat eum vos autem eritis in vinculis donec probentur quae dixistis utrum falsa an vera sint alioquin per salutem Pharaonis exploratores estis

17 tradidit ergo eos custodiae tribus diebus

18 die autem tertio eductis de carcere ait facite quod dixi et vivetis Deum enim timeo

19 si pacifici estis frater vester unus ligetur in carcere vos autem abite et ferte frumenta quae emistis in domos vestras

20 et fratrem vestrum minimum ad me adducite ut possim vestros probare sermones et non moriamini fecerunt ut dixerat

21 et locuti sunt invicem merito haec patimur quia peccavimus in fratrem nostrum videntes angustiam animae illius cum deprecaretur nos et non audivimus idcirco venit super nos ista tribulatio

22 e quibus unus Ruben ait numquid non dixi vobis nolite peccare in puerum et non audistis me en sanguis eius exquiritur

23 nesciebant autem quod intellegeret Ioseph eo quod per interpretem loquebatur ad eos

24 avertitque se parumper et flevit et reversus locutus est ad eos

25 tollens Symeon et ligans illis praesentibus iussitque ministris ut implerent saccos eorum tritico et reponerent pecunias singulorum in sacculis suis datis supra cibariis in via qui fecerunt ita

26 at illi portantes frumenta in asinis profecti sunt

27 apertoque unus sacco ut daret iumento pabulum in diversorio contemplatus pecuniam in ore sacculi

28 dixit fratribus suis reddita est mihi pecunia en habetur in sacco et obstupefacti turbatique dixerunt mutuo quidnam est hoc quod fecit nobis Deus

29 veneruntque ad Iacob patrem suum in terra Chanaan et narraverunt ei omnia quae accidissent sibi dicentes

30 locutus est nobis dominus terrae dure et putavit nos exploratores provinciae

31 cui respondimus pacifici sumus nec ullas molimur insidias

32 duodecim fratres uno patre geniti sumus unus non est super minimus cum patre versatur in terra Chanaan

33 qui ait nobis sic probabo quod pacifici sitis fratrem vestrum unum dimittite apud me et cibaria domibus vestris necessaria sumite et abite

Genesis 42:3-33 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.