15 Hereby H2063 ye shall be proved: H974 By the life H2416 of Pharaoh H6547 ye shall not go forth H3318 hence, except your youngest H6996 brother H251 come H935 hither.
Woe G3759 unto you, G5213 ye blind G5185 guides, G3595 which G3588 say, G3004 Whosoever G3739 G302 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the temple, G3485 it is G2076 nothing; G3762 but G1161 whosoever G3739 G302 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the gold G5557 of the temple, G3485 he is a debtor! G3784 Ye fools G3474 and G2532 blind: G5185 for G1063 whether G5101 is G2076 greater, G3187 the gold, G5557 or G2228 the temple G3485 that sanctifieth G37 the gold? G5557 And, G2532 Whosoever G3739 G1437 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the altar, G2379 it is G2076 nothing; G3762 but G1161 whosoever G3739 G302 sweareth G3660 by G1722 the gift G1435 that is upon G1883 it, G846 he is guilty. G3784 Ye fools G3474 and G2532 blind: G5185 for G1063 whether G5101 is greater, G3187 the gift, G1435 or G2228 the altar G2379 that sanctifieth G37 the gift? G1435 Whoso therefore G3767 shall swear G3660 by G1722 the altar, G2379 sweareth G3660 by G1722 it, G846 and G2532 by G1722 all things G3956 thereon. G1883 G846 And G2532 whoso shall swear G3660 by G1722 the temple, G3485 sweareth G3660 by G1722 it, G846 and G2532 by G1722 him that dwelleth G2730 therein. G846 And G2532 he that shall swear G3660 by G1722 heaven, G3772 sweareth G3660 by G1722 the throne G2362 of God, G2316 and G2532 by G1722 him that sitteth G2521 thereon. G1883 G846
Again, G3825 ye have heard G191 that G3754 it hath been said G4483 by them of old time, G744 Thou shalt G1964 not G3756 forswear thyself, G1964 but G1161 shalt perform G591 unto the Lord G2962 thine G4675 oaths: G3727 But G1161 I G1473 say G3004 unto you, G5213 Swear G3660 not G3361 at all; G3654 neither G3383 by G1722 heaven; G3772 for G3754 it is G2076 God's G2316 throne: G2362 Nor G3383 by G1722 the earth; G1093 for G3754 it is G2076 his G846 footstool: G4228 G5286 neither G3383 by G1519 Jerusalem; G2414 for G3754 it is G2076 the city G4172 of the great G3173 King. G935 Neither G3383 shalt thou swear G3660 by G1722 thy G4675 head, G2776 because G3754 thou canst G1410 not G3756 make G4160 one G3391 hair G2359 white G3022 or G2228 black. G3189 But G1161 let G2077 your G5216 communication G3056 be, G2077 Yea, G3483 yea; G3483 Nay, G3756 nay: G3756 for G1161 whatsoever is more G4053 than these G5130 cometh G2076 of G1537 evil. G4190
And we said H559 unto my lord, H113 We have H3426 a father, H1 an old man, H2205 and a child H3206 of his old age, H2208 a little one; H6996 and his brother H251 is dead, H4191 and he alone is left H3498 of his mother, H517 and his father H1 loveth H157 him. And thou saidst H559 unto thy servants, H5650 Bring him down H3381 unto me, that I may set H7760 mine eyes H5869 upon him. And we said H559 unto my lord, H113 The lad H5288 cannot H3201 leave H5800 his father: H1 for if he should leave H5800 his father, H1 his father would die. H4191 And thou saidst H559 unto thy servants, H5650 Except H3808 your youngest H6996 brother H251 come down H3381 with you, ye shall see H7200 H3254 my face H6440 no more. H7200 H3254 And it came to pass when we came up H5927 unto thy servant H5650 my father, H1 we told H5046 him the words H1697 of my lord. H113 And our father H1 said, H559 Go again, H7725 and buy H7666 us a little H4592 food. H400 And we said, H559 We cannot H3201 go down: H3381 if our youngest H6996 brother H251 be H3426 with us, then will we go down: H3381 for we may H3201 not see H7200 the man's H376 face, H6440 except H369 our youngest H6996 brother H251 be with us. And thy servant H5650 my father H1 said H559 unto us, Ye know H3045 that my wife H802 bare H3205 me two H8147 sons: And the one H259 went out H3318 from me, and I said, H559 Surely H2963 he is torn in pieces; H2963 and I saw him H7200 not since: H2008 And if ye take H3947 this also from H5973 me, H6440 and mischief H611 befall him, H7136 ye shall bring down H3381 my gray hairs H7872 with sorrow H7451 to the grave. H7585 Now therefore when I come H935 to thy servant H5650 my father, H1 and the lad H5288 be not with us; seeing that his life H5315 is bound up H7194 in the lad's life; H5315 It shall come to pass, when he seeth H7200 that the lad H5288 is not with us, that he will die: H4191 and thy servants H5650 shall bring down H3381 the gray hairs H7872 of thy servant H5650 our father H1 with sorrow H3015 to the grave. H7585 For thy servant H5650 became surety H6148 for the lad H5288 unto H5973 my father, H1 saying, H559 If I bring H935 him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame H2398 to my father H1 for ever. H3117 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant H5650 abide H3427 instead of the lad H5288 a bondman H5650 to my lord; H113 and let the lad H5288 go up H5927 with his brethren. H251 For how H349 shall I go up H5927 to my father, H1 and the lad H5288 be not with me? lest peradventure I see H7200 the evil H7451 that shall come on H4672 my father. H1
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 42
Commentary on Genesis 42 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 42
Ge 42:1-38. Journey into Egypt.
1. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt—learned from common rumor. It is evident from Jacob's language that his own and his sons' families had suffered greatly from the scarcity; and through the increasing severity of the scourge, those men, who had formerly shown both activity and spirit, were sinking into despondency. God would not interpose miraculously when natural means of preservation were within reach.
5. the famine was in the land of Canaan—The tropical rains, which annually falling swell the Nile, are those of Palestine also; and their failure would produce the same disastrous effects in Canaan as in Egypt. Numerous caravans of its people, therefore, poured over the sandy desert of Suez, with their beasts of burden, for the purchase of corn; and among others, "the sons of Israel" were compelled to undertake a journey from which painful associations made them strongly averse.
6. Joseph was the governor—in the zenith of his power and influence.
he it was that sold—that is, directed the sales; for it is impossible that he could give attendance in every place. It is probable, however, that he may have personally superintended the storehouses near the border of Canaan, both because that was the most exposed part of the country and because he must have anticipated the arrival of some messengers from his father's house.
Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him—His prophetic dreams [Ge 37:5-11] were in the course of being fulfilled, and the atrocious barbarity of his brethren had been the means of bringing about the very issue they had planned to prevent (Isa 60:14; Re 3:9, last clause).
7, 8. Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, … but they knew not him—This is not strange. They were full-grown men—he was but a lad at parting. They were in their usual garb—he was in his official robes. They never dreamt of him as governor of Egypt, while he had been expecting them. They had but one face; he had ten persons to judge by.
made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly—It would be an injustice to Joseph's character to suppose that this stern manner was prompted by any vindictive feelings—he never indulged any resentment against others who had injured him. But he spoke in the authoritative tone of the governor in order to elicit some much-longed-for information respecting the state of his father's family, as well as to bring his brethren, by their own humiliation and distress, to a sense of the evils they had done to him.
9-14. Ye are spies—This is a suspicion entertained regarding strangers in all Eastern countries down to the present day. Joseph, however, who was well aware that his brethren were not spies, has been charged with cruel dissimulation, with a deliberate violation of what he knew to be the truth, in imputing to them such a character. But it must be remembered that he was sustaining the part of a ruler; and, in fact, acting on the very principle sanctioned by many of the sacred writers, and our Lord Himself, who spoke parables (fictitious stories) to promote a good end.
15. By the life of Pharaoh—It is a very common practice in Western Asia to swear by the life of the king. Joseph spoke in the style of an Egyptian and perhaps did not think there was any evil in it. But we are taught to regard all such expressions in the light of an oath (Mt 5:34; Jas 5:12).
17-24. put them … into ward three days—Their confinement had been designed to bring them to salutary reflection. And this object was attained, for they looked upon the retributive justice of God as now pursuing them in that foreign land. The drift of their conversation is one of the most striking instances on record of the power of conscience [Ge 42:21, 22].
24. took … Simeon, and bound him—He had probably been the chief instigator—the most violent actor in the outrage upon Joseph; and if so, his selection to be the imprisoned and fettered hostage for their return would, in the present course of their reflections, have a painful significance.
25-28. Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money—This private generosity was not an infringement of his duty—a defrauding of the revenue. He would have a discretionary power—he was daily enriching the king's exchequer—and he might have paid the sum from his own purse.
27. inn—a mere station for baiting beasts of burden.
he espied his money—The discovery threw them into greater perplexity than ever. If they had been congratulating themselves on escaping from the ruthless governor, they perceived that now he would have a handle against them; and it is observable that they looked upon this as a judgment of heaven. Thus one leading design of Joseph was gained in their consciences being roused to a sense of guilt.
35. as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's … money was in his sack—It appears that they had been silent about the money discovery at the resting-place, as their father might have blamed them for not instantly returning. However innocent they knew themselves to be, it was universally felt to be an unhappy circumstance, which might bring them into new and greater perils.
36. Me have ye bereaved—This exclamation indicates a painfully excited state of feeling, and it shows how difficult it is for even a good man to yield implicit submission to the course of Providence. The language does not imply that his missing sons had got foul play from the hands of the rest, but he looks upon Simeon as lost, as well as Joseph, and he insinuates it was by some imprudent statements of theirs that he was exposed to the risk of losing Benjamin also.
37. Reuben spake, … Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee—This was a thoughtless and unwarrantable condition—one that he never seriously expected his father would accept. It was designed only to give assurance of the greatest care being taken of Benjamin. But unforeseen circumstances might arise to render it impossible for all of them to preserve that young lad (Jas 4:13), and Jacob was much pained by the prospect. Little did he know that God was dealing with him severely, but in kindness (Heb 12:7, 8), and that all those things he thought against Him were working together for his good.