9 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 Joseph H3130 dreamed H2492 a dream, H2472 and he told H5046 it his brethren: H251 and they hated H8130 him yet the more. H3254 And he said H559 unto them, Hear, H8085 I pray you, this dream H2472 which I have dreamed: H2492 For, behold, we were binding H481 H8432 sheaves H485 in the field, H7704 and, lo, my sheaf H485 arose, H6965 and also stood upright; H5324 and, behold, your sheaves H485 stood round about, H5437 and made obeisance H7812 to my sheaf. H485 And his brethren H251 said H559 to him, Shalt thou indeed H4427 reign H4427 over us? or shalt thou indeed H4910 have dominion H4910 over us? And they hated H8130 him yet the more H3254 for his dreams, H2472 and for his words. H1697 And he dreamed H2492 yet another H312 dream, H2472 and told H5608 it his brethren, H251 and said, H559 Behold, I have dreamed H2492 a dream H2472 more; and, behold, the sun H8121 and the moon H3394 and the eleven H6240 H259 stars H3556 made obeisance H7812 to me.
And bring H935 your youngest H6996 brother H251 unto me: then shall I know H3045 that ye are no spies, H7270 but that ye are true H3651 men: so will I deliver H5414 you your brother, H251 and ye shall traffick H5503 in the land. H776
And the LORD H3068 plagued H5062 the people, H5971 because H834 they made H6213 the calf, H5695 which H834 Aaron H175 made. H6213
These are the names H8034 of the men H582 which Moses H4872 sent H7971 to spy out H8446 the land. H776 And Moses H4872 called H7121 Oshea H1954 the son H1121 of Nun H5126 Jehoshua. H3091 And Moses H4872 sent H7971 them to spy out H8446 the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and said H559 unto them, Get you up H5927 this way southward, H5045 and go up H5927 into the mountain: H2022 And see H7200 the land, H776 what it is; and the people H5971 that dwelleth H3427 therein, whether they be strong H2389 or weak, H7504 few H4592 or many; H7227 And what the land H776 is that they dwell in, H3427 whether it be good H2896 or bad; H7451 and what cities H5892 they be that they dwell H3427 in, H2007 whether in tents, H4264 or in strong holds; H4013 And what the land H776 is, whether it be fat H8082 or lean, H7330 whether there be H3426 wood H6086 therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, H2388 and bring H3947 of the fruit H6529 of the land. H776 Now the time H3117 was the time H3117 of the firstripe H1061 grapes. H6025
And Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun H5126 sent H7971 out of Shittim H7851 two H8147 men H582 to spy H7270 secretly, H2791 saying, H559 Go H3212 view H7200 the land, H776 even Jericho. H3405 And they went, H3212 and came H935 into an harlot's H2181 house, H802 H1004 named H8034 Rahab, H7343 and lodged H7901 there.
And the young men H5288 that were spies H7270 went in, H935 and brought out H3318 Rahab, H7343 and her father, H1 and her mother, H517 and her brethren, H251 and all that she had; and they brought out H3318 all her kindred, H4940 and left H3240 them without H2351 the camp H4264 of Israel. H3478
And the spies H8104 saw H7200 a man H376 come forth H3318 out of the city, H5892 and they said H559 unto him, Shew H7200 us, we pray thee, the entrance H3996 into the city, H5892 and we will shew H6213 thee mercy. H2617
David H1732 therefore sent out H7971 spies, H7270 and understood H3045 that Saul H7586 was come H935 in very deed. H3559
And G2532 they watched G3906 him, and sent forth G649 spies, G1455 which should feign G5271 G1511 themselves G1438 just men, G1342 that G2443 they might take hold G1949 of his G846 words, G3056 that so G1519 they might deliver G3860 him G846 unto the power G746 and G2532 authority G1849 of the governor. G2232
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.