7 And Joseph H3130 saw H7200 his brethren, H251 and he knew H5234 them, but made himself strange H5234 unto them, and spake H1696 roughly H7186 unto them; and he said H559 unto them, Whence H370 come H935 ye? And they said, H559 From the land H776 of Canaan H3667 to buy H7666 food. H400
And Joseph H3130 remembered H2142 the dreams H2472 which he dreamed H2492 of them, and said H559 unto them, Ye are spies; H7270 to see H7200 the nakedness H6172 of the land H776 ye are come. H935 And they said H559 unto him, Nay, my lord, H113 but to buy H7666 food H400 are thy servants H5650 come. H935 We H5168 are all one H259 man's H376 sons; H1121 we are true H3651 men, thy servants H5650 are no spies. H7270 And he said H559 unto them, Nay, but to see H7200 the nakedness H6172 of the land H776 ye are come. H935
And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto them, That is it that I spake H1696 unto you, saying, H559 Ye are spies: H7270 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. Send H7971 one H259 of you, and let him fetch H3947 your brother, H251 and ye shall be kept in prison, H631 that your words H1697 may be proved, H974 whether there be any truth H571 in H854 you: or else H3808 by the life H2416 of Pharaoh H6547 surely ye are spies. H7270 And he put them all together H622 into ward H4929 three H7969 days. H3117
If ye be true H3651 men, let one H259 of your brethren H251 be bound H631 in the house H1004 of your prison: H4929 go H3212 ye, carry H935 corn H7668 for the famine H7459 of your houses: H1004 But bring H935 your youngest H6996 brother H251 unto me; so shall your words H1697 be verified, H539 and ye shall not die. H4191 And they did H6213 so.
But G1161 he answered G611 her G846 not G3756 a word. G3056 And G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 came G4334 and besought G2065 him, G846 saying, G3004 Send G630 her G846 away; G630 for G3754 she crieth G2896 after G3693 us. G2257 But G1161 he answered G611 and said, G2036 I am G649 not G3756 sent G649 but G1508 unto G1519 the lost G622 sheep G4263 of the house G3624 of Israel. G2474 Then G1161 came she G2064 and worshipped G4352 him, G846 saying, G3004 Lord, G2962 help G997 me. G3427 But G1161 he answered G611 and said, G2036 It is G2076 not G3756 meet G2570 to take G2983 the children's G5043 bread, G740 and G2532 to cast G906 it to dogs. G2952
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.