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Genesis Chapter
Forty-two
Genesis 42
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
Genesis 42:1; 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
Genesis 42:6; 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
Genesis 42:10; and
put them all into prison for three days
and then released them
and sent them
away to fetch their brother
Genesis 42:17; 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
Genesis 42:21; 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
Genesis 42:25; upon
their return to Jacob they related all that had befallen them
and particularly
that the governor insisted on having Benjamin brought to him
Genesis 42:29;
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
Genesis 42:35.
Genesis 42:1. When
Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt
Jacob said to his sons
“Why do you look
at one another?”
YLT 1And Jacob seeth that there
is corn in Egypt
and Jacob saith to his sons
`Why do you look at each other?'
Now when Jacob
saw that there was corn in Egypt
....
That is
to be sold there
or otherwise it being there
unless it could be bought
would have been of no
avail to foreigners; wherefore the Septuagint version is
that there was a saleF23יבר πρασις Sept.
"frumentum venale"
Schmidt; so Ainsworth
and the Targum of
Jonathan. there
a sale of corn; the word has the signification of
"breaking"F24"Fractio"
Montanus
Munster
Piscator. in it
because that bread corn is broke in the mill
or is broken
from the heap when sold or distributed
or because when eaten it breaks the
fast. Now Jacob had either seen persons passing by with corn
of whom he
inquired from whence they had it
who replied
from Egypt; or he understood by
the report of others that corn was to be bought there; though some of the
Jewish writers would have it
as Jarchi observes
that he saw it by the revelation
of the Holy Spirit:
Jacob said
unto
his sons
why do ye look one upon another?
like persons in surprise
distress and despair
at their wits' end
not knowing what to do
what course
to take
and which way to turn themselves
and scarce able to speak to one
another
and consult with each other what was proper to be done; for it seems
not so agreeable that they should be charged as idle persons
careless and
unconcerned
indifferent and inactive; but rather
if the other sense is not
acceptable
the meaning may be
"why do ye look?"F25למה תתראו "ut quid
circumspicitis"
Schmidt. here and there
in the land of Canaan
where it
is to no purpose to look for corn; look where it is to be had.
Genesis 42:2. 2 And
he said
“Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that
place and buy for us there
that we may live and not die.”
YLT 2he saith also
`Lo
I have
heard that there is corn in Egypt
go down thither
and buy for us from thence
and we live and do not die;'
And he said
behold
I have heard that there is corn in Egypt
....
This explains what is
meant by the phrase he saw
one sense being put for another:
get ye down
thither;
as fast as you can without
delay; Egypt lay lower than Canaan
and therefore they are bid to go down
as
when they went from thence to Canaan they are said to go up
Genesis 45:25
and buy for us
from thence
that we may live
and not die;
which shows the famine was
very pressing
since
unless they could buy corn from Egypt they could not
live
but must die.
Genesis 42:3. 3 So
Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.
YLT 3and the ten brethren of
Joseph go down to buy corn in Egypt
And Joseph's
ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
They obeyed their father's
orders
and immediately set out for Egypt; "ten" of them went down in
a body together
all but Benjamin
so that it is easily reckoned who they were
and they are called not Jacob's sons
as they were; but Joseph's brethren
whom
they had sold into Egypt
and to whom now they were going
though they knew it
not
to buy corn of him in their necessity
and to whom they would be obliged
to yield obeisance
as they did.
Genesis 42:4. 4 But
Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers
for he said
“Lest some calamity befall him.”
YLT 4and Benjamin
Joseph's
brother
Jacob hath not sent with his brethren
for he said
`Lest mischief meet
him.'
But Benjamin
Joseph's brother
Jacob sent not with his brethren
....
Benjamin is called
Joseph's brother
because he was so both by father and mother's side
as the
rest were not; him Jacob kept with him
being the youngest and his darling
the
only son he had with him of his beloved wife Rachel; and was very probably the
more beloved by him since he had been bereft of Joseph; and it was not only to
keep him company that he retained him at home
but for the reason following:
for he said
lest peradventure mischief befall him;
as had to Joseph his
brother
as he imagined; either that the journey would be too much for him
being young
or lest he should be seized with sickness on the road
or rather
with death
as Aben Ezra interprets it according to the Targums of Onkelos and
Jonathan.
Genesis 42:5. 5 And
the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed
for the
famine was in the land of Canaan.
YLT 5And the sons of Israel come
to buy in the midst of those coming
for the famine hath been in the land of
Canaan
And the sons of
Israel came to buy corn among those that came
....
Either among the Egyptians
that came to buy
or among those who came from different countries
or rather
particularly among the Canaanites
as the Targum of Jonathan; with these they
might join upon the road
and go together in a body where the market for corn
was:
for the famine
was in the land of Canaan:
which obliged the
inhabitants of it as well as Jacob's family to seek for corn elsewhere
and
confirms the sense of the preceding clause: this
though a very fruitful land
yet when God withheld a blessing from it
it became barren
as it had been
before
Genesis 12:10
and
was to try the faith of those good men to whom God had given it
and to wean
their hearts from being set upon it
and to put them upon seeking a better
country
as they did.
Genesis 42:6. 6 Now
Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the
people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their
faces to the earth.
YLT 6and Joseph is the ruler
over the land
he who is selling to all the people of the land
and Joseph's
brethren come and bow themselves to him -- face to the earth.
And Joseph was
the governor over the land
....
Not the land of Canaan
last mentioned
but the land of Egypt; under Pharaoh
he had the chief and sole
authority
and especially in the affair of the corn
and the disposal of that:
and he it was that sold to all the people of the land:
of Egypt
and also to all
that came out of other lands; not that he in person could do all this
but by
those that acted under him:
and Joseph's
brethren came;
to Joseph to buy corn of
him:
and bowed down
themselves before him
with their faces to the earth;
not only bowed the knee as
the Egyptians did
but prostrated their whole bodies
stretching out their
hands and feet
and touching the ground with their faces
as was the manner of
the eastern countries
at least some of them; and so of Canaan; and thus did
they submit themselves to him in the most humble manner
and thereby
though
without their knowledge
fulfilled his dream of their sheaves making obeisance
to his sheaf
Genesis 37:7.
Genesis 42:7. 7 Joseph
saw his brothers and recognized them
but he acted as a stranger to them and
spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them
“Where do you come from?” And they
said
“From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
YLT 7And Joseph seeth his
brethren
and discerneth them
and maketh himself strange unto them
and
speaketh with them sharp things
and saith unto them
`From whence have ye
come?' and they say
`From the land of Canaan -- to buy food.'
And Joseph saw
his brethren
....
Among those that came to
buy corn
and when they prostrated themselves before him:
and he knew
them;
some of them being at
man's estate
and their beards grown when they sold him
and their habits and
dress now being much the same it was then
and by them he knew the younger:
but made
himself strange unto them;
took no notice of them as
his relations
but carried himself to them as he did to other foreigners
and
yet more strangely:
and spake
roughly unto them;
or hardF26קשות "dura"
Pagninus
Montanus
Drusius
Piscator
Schmidt. things or words; put on a stern countenance
and spoke with
a high tone and in a rough surly manner to them:
and he said
unto them
whence come ye?
who are ye? of what
country are ye? what is your business here?
and they said
from the land of Canaan to buy food;
which they could not get
in Canaan
the famine being there so great.
Genesis 42:8. 8 So
Joseph recognized his brothers
but they did not recognize him.
YLT 8And Joseph discerneth his
brethren
but they have not discerned him
And Joseph knew
his brethren
but they knew not him.
It being about twenty two
years since they saw him
and then he was young
and his beard not grown
as
now it was; and besides
he was clothed as a prince
and spoke the Egyptian
language; and being in such great grandeur and splendour
and in such power and
authority
and having such a retinue attending him
they never once thought of
him
whom they supposed might be dead
having never heard of him all this time;
or
however
it could not come into their minds
that he whom they sold for a
slave could ever be governor of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 42:9. 9 Then
Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them
and said to them
“You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
YLT 9and Joseph remembereth the
dreams which he dreamed of them
and saith unto them
`Ye [are] spies; to see
the nakedness of the land ye have come.'
And Joseph
remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them
....
Their bowing and
prostrating themselves before him brought to his remembrance his dreams of
their sheaves making obeisance to his
and of the sun
moon
and eleven stars
doing the same to him
Genesis 37:7
and said unto
them
ye are spies;
not believing they were
nor absolutely asserting that they were such; but this he said to try them
and
what they would say for themselves
and in order to lead on to further
discourse with them
and to get knowledge of his father and brother Benjamin
whether living or not: he dealt with them as a judge on the bench
when
examining persons
whose charges have the nature of an interrogation
as this
has: "ye are spies"; are ye not? surely ye must be
and unless
you give a better account of yourselves
I must take you up as such:
to see the
nakedness of the land ye are come:
what parts of it are
weakest
most defenceless
and less fortified
and most easy to break in at
and invade the land; and it was not without reason that the Egyptians might
suspect the neighbouring nations round about them
being in distress
and
hearing of corn in Egypt
of forming a design of coming upon them and taking
away their corn by force
and might be the reason why foreigners that came to
buy corn were brought before Joseph and examined by him.
Genesis 42:10.
10 And
they said to him
“No
my lord
but your servants have come to buy food.
YLT 10And they say unto him
`No
my lord
but thy servants have come to buy food;
And they said
unto him
nay
my lord
....
One in the name of the
rest
or each in his turn
denying that they were spies
and addressing him
with the greatest reverence and submission
calling him their lord
and thus
further accomplishing his dreams:
but to buy food
are thy servants come;
that and no other was the
errand they came upon.
Genesis 42:11. 11 We are all one
man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”
YLT 11we [are] all of us sons of
one man
we [are] right men; thy servants have not been spies;'
We are
all one man's sons
....
Therefore not likely to be
spies; it could hardly be thought that a single family should engage in such an
affair; or that one man would
send his sons as spies
and especially all of
them
it being a dangerous affair
and they being liable to be taken up and put
to death; and as more families than one must be concerned in such an
enterprise
it is reasonable to suppose
that if they had been spies they would
have been of different families
and also not together
but in different parts
of the kingdom
to observe the fittest place to enter in at and execute their
design:
we are
true men:
that spoke truth when they
said they came to buy corn; were honest
upright
and sincere in what they
said
nor would they
nor durst they
tell a lie:
thy servants
are no spies;
this they expressed in the
strongest terms
and with the fullest assurance they could
detesting the
charge and character of being spies.
Genesis 42:12. 12 But
he said to them
“No
but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
YLT 12and he saith unto them
`No
but the nakedness of the land ye have come to see;'
And he said
unto them
nay
....
This argument will not do
I am not to be put off with such words as these; if you can produce no better
proof of your being honest men than this
or give no better account of
yourselves
I must abide by it
that:
to see the
nakedness of the land ye are come;
this he urged in order to
get a further account from them of their family and the state of it
which he
was anxious to know.
Genesis 42:13. 13 And
they said
“Your servants are twelve brothers
the sons of one man in
the land of Canaan; and in fact
the youngest is with our father today
and one is no more.”
YLT 13and they say
`Thy servants
[are] twelve brethren; we [are] sons of one man in the land of Canaan
and lo
the young one [is] with our father to-day
and the one is not.'
And they said
thy servants are twelve brethren
....
Or rather
"were
twelve"
since one afterwards is said not to be:
the sons of one
man in the land of Canaan;
of Jacob
who dwelt there;
this is said with the same view as before
to show the improbability of their
being spies:
and
behold
the youngest is this day with our father:
meaning Benjamin
whom
Joseph was eager to hear of
and no doubt was glad to hear he was alive
and
his father also
and that they were both together in the land of Canaan:
and one is
not;
is not in the land of the
living
is dead; for so they thought Joseph was
who is the person intended
as
appears from what both Reuben and Judah afterwards say
Genesis 42:22; and
yet he was before them
and was the person they were speaking to: this must be
very striking and affecting to Joseph
who knew full well they meant himself.
Genesis 42:14. 14 But
Joseph said to them
“It is as I spoke to you
saying
‘You are
spies!’
YLT 14And Joseph saith unto them
`This [is] that which I have spoken unto you
saying
Ye [are] spies
And Joseph said
unto them
that is it that I spake unto you
saying
ye are
spies.
This proves it
at least
gives strong suspicion of it; since at first they seemed to speak of
themselves
as if they were the only sons of one man and there were no more
now they speak of twelve
and make mention of one being at home with his
father; but seeing he sent so many of them
why not all? why should one only be
left at home?
Genesis 42:15. 15 In
this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh
you shall not
leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
YLT 15by this ye are proved:
Pharaoh liveth! if ye go out from this -- except by your young brother coming
hither;
Hereby ye shall
be proved
....
Whether spies
or not
namely
by producing their youngest brother
said to be at home with his
father:
by the life of
Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence
except your youngest brother come hither:
the phrase
"by the
life of Pharaoh"
seems to be the form of an oath
as it was common with
many nations
especially with the Scythians
who used to swear by the royal
throneF1Herodot. Melpomene
sive
l. 4. c. 68.
and the Romans
in
later times
by the life
health
and genius of their emperor; and this custom
of swearing by the life of their king
or by his head
continued with the
Egyptians
as Aben Ezra says
unto his times; though some take this to be a
wish or prayer for the life of Pharaoh
and render it
"may Pharaoh
live"F2חי פרעה
"vivat Parhoh"
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius; so Ainsworth and
Lightfoot.
or
at most
but a strong asseveration
that as dear as the life
of Pharaoh was to him
so surely they should not stir from the place where they
were
unless their youngest brother Benjamin was brought thither.
Genesis 42:16. 16 Send
one of you
and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison
that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you;
or else
by the life of Pharaoh
surely you are spies!”
YLT 16send one of you
and let
him bring your brother
and ye
remain ye bound
and let your words be proved
whether truth be with you: and if not -- Pharaoh liveth! surely ye [are]
spies;'
Send one of
you
and let him fetch your brother
....
He proposes that one of
them might be sent by them to their father's house
and bring
Benjamin down to
Egypt:
and ye shall be
kept in prison;
the rest of them till he
came:
that your words
may be proved
whether there be any truth in you;
by this it would be seen
whether they were men of truth and honesty or not; and should their brother be
brought they would appear to be good men and true:
or else
by the
life of Pharaoh
surely ye are spies;
should not their brother
they spoke of be produced
it would be a plain case that they were not the honest
men they pretended to be
nor did they come merely to buy corn
but had an ill
intention.
Genesis 42:17. 17 So
he put them all together in prison three days.
YLT 17and he removeth them unto
charge three days.
And he put them
all together into ward three days.
In order to consult
together
and agree who should be sent to fetch their brother; and which it
seems probable in this length of time they could not agree upon
no one caring
to be the bringer of such evil tidings to their father.
Genesis 42:18. 18 Then
Joseph said to them the third day
“Do this and live
for I fear God:
YLT 18And Joseph saith unto them
on the third day
`This do and live; God I fear!
And Joseph said
unto them the third day
....
His heart yearning towards
them
though he put on such an appearance; finding they could not come to an
agreement among themselves who should go on the errand
he thought fit to
recede from his former order
and to give them another:
this do
and
live:
meaning what he was about
to say to them
which if they punctually observed and performed
it would be
the means of saving their lives:
for I fear God;
and therefore would not do
either an unjust or cruel thing. This might have given them an him who he was:
but there being among the Gentiles
in all nations
some few that feared God
they took no further notice of it than this
that they might expect just and
equitable dealings by him; since
though he was in such an high place
he knew
and owned there was one higher than he
to whom he was accountable.
Genesis 42:19. 19 If
you are honest men
let one of your brothers be confined to your
prison house; but you
go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.
YLT 19if ye [are] right men
let
one of your brethren be bound in the house of your ward
and ye
go
carry in
corn [for] the famine of your houses
If ye be
true men
....
As you say you are:
let one of your
brethren be bound in the house of your prison;
agree among yourselves
which of you (for one of you must) remain in prison where you are: and the rest
being set at liberty:
go ye
carry
corn for the famine of your houses;
Joseph
though he dealt
with them after this manner to get what knowledge he could of his family
and
to get sight of his brother
yet was concerned for the good of them and theirs
lest they should be in extreme want through the famine
and that they might
have a speedy supply of corn
was not willing to detain them any longer.
Genesis 42:20. 20 And
bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified
and you
shall not die.” And they did so.
YLT 20and your young brother ye
bring unto me
and your words are established
and ye die not;' and they do so.
But bring your
youngest brother unto me
....
Upon their return for more
corn:
so shall your
words be verified;
that they were true men
and had no ill design upon the land
but were come only to buy corn:
and ye shall
not die;
as spies
which they were
otherwise threatened with; and as it is customary in all nations to put such to
death when found out:
and they did so;
they left one of their
brethren behind; they carried corn to their houses or families in Canaan
and
brought their brother Benjamin with them when they returned to Egypt.
Genesis 42:21. 21 Then they said to one
another
“We are truly guilty concerning our brother
for we saw the
anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us
and we would not hear; therefore
this distress has come upon us.”
YLT 21And they say one unto
another
`Verily we [are] guilty concerning our brother
because we saw the
distress of his soul
in his making supplication unto us
and we did not
hearken: therefore hath this distress come upon us.'
And they said
one to another
....
Before they went out of
the prison
at least while in the presence of Joseph:
we are
verily guilty concerning our brother;
meaning Joseph
whom they
had sold for a slave
and who they supposed was dead through grief and hard
servitude; and now being in trouble themselves
it brings to mind the sin they
had been guilty of
which
though committed twenty two years ago
was still
fresh in their memories
and lay heavy on their consciences; for length of time
neither makes sin less
nor the conscience lighter
when it is revived and
charged home upon it
and which was aggravated particularly by the following
circumstance:
in that we saw
the anguish of his soul
when he besought us
and we would not hear;
when in the utmost agony
with trembling limbs
and quivering lips
and floods of tears
as they stripped
him of his coat
he most earnestly and importunately requested of them they
would not put him into the pit
and leave him there; and in the same manner
entreated them they would not put him into the hands of strangers
but restore
him alive to his father; but they turned a deaf ear to all his cries and
entreaties
and hardened themselves against him:
therefore is
this distress come upon us;
the same measure that was
measured by them to him
was now measured to them again
and they were dealt
with according to "lex talionis": they cast Joseph into a pit
and
now they were committed to a prison; they would not attend to his cries and
tears
and the anguish of his soul did not move their pity
and now he is
inexorable to them
and will not at least appear to have any compassion on
them
or show pity to them; and perhaps their being dealt with in this similar
way brought to their remembrance what they had done.
Genesis 42:22. 22 And
Reuben answered them
saying
“Did I not speak to you
saying
‘Do not sin
against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold
his blood is now
required of us.”
YLT 22And Reuben answereth them
saying
`Spake I not unto you
saying
Sin not against the lad? and ye
hearkened not; and his blood also
lo
it is required.'
And Reuben
answered them
....
Being the eldest
and who
had been most concerned for the life of Joseph
and most tender and careful of
him:
saying
spake I
not unto you
saying
do not sin against the child
and ye would not hear?
it seems by this that
Reuben endeavoured to dissuade his brethren from selling Joseph
when they
first proposed it
to which they would not attend; since it is certain they did
hearken to him as not to kill him directly
as they first consulted
and they
hearkened to him to cast him into a pit
where he did not intend he should
continue
but till he had an opportunity of taking him out
and returning him
to his father: but it seems probable that Reuben was with them when they first
spied the Ishmaelites
and proposed to sell Joseph to them
which he objected
to
and entreated they would not do it; and perhaps he went out from them
and
took a circuit
with a view to get to the pit and take Joseph out
but before
he got thither his brethren had taken him out
and sold him: or this may refer
to the general advice he always gave them
to do nothing that might endanger
the life of Joseph
or be the means of his death
which selling him for a slave
he supposed had been:
therefore
behold
also
his blood is required;
the Targum of Jonathan
adds
"of us"; they were accessary to his death
and guilty of it;
for Reuben supposed he was dead
and now they must suffer for it
as a just
retaliation
being threatened with death unless they could clear themselves.
Genesis 42:23. 23 But
they did not know that Joseph understood them
for he spoke to them
through an interpreter.
YLT 23And they have not known
that Joseph understandeth
for the interpreter [is] between them;
And they knew
not that Joseph understood them
....
For what is above related
they spoke in his presence and hearing; but speaking to one another in the
Hebrew language
and he being an Egyptian
as they took him to be
they did not
imagine that he could understand them
and therefore were not at all upon their
guard in what they said: and what confirmed them in this was:
for he spake
unto them by an interpreter;
which he the rather chose
to do
that they might have no suspicion of him; and which shows
that though
there was a likeness between the Hebrew language and the Egyptian in many
things
yet in some they differed
and the difference was such that there was
need of an interpreter
where the parties did not understand both languages:
this interpreter between Joseph and his brethren
according to the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem
was Manasseh
the eldest son of Joseph
and so Jarchi;
which is very improbable
he being but a child at this time
if not an infant;
see Genesis 41:50.
Genesis 42:24. 24 And
he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again
and
talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
YLT 24and he turneth round from
them
and weepeth
and turneth back unto them
and speaketh unto them
and
taketh from them Simeon
and bindeth him before their eyes.
And he turned
himself about from them
and wept
....
Hearing his brethren
confess their sin and guilt to one another in selling him
and Reuben's
affectionate concern for him
it wrought so much upon his affections
being
naturally of a tender spirit
that he could no longer act the part he had
and
keep up the sternness and severity of his countenance; wherefore he turned his
face from them
that they might not discern it
and his back upon them
and
went into another room: and after he had given vent to his passion
and
composed himself:
and returned to
them again
and communed with them;
upon the same subject
of
going with their corn to Canaan
and bringing their youngest brother with them
upon their return
and promising moreover
for their encouragement
a free
traffic in the land of Egypt
Genesis 42:34
and took from
them Simeon
and bound him before their eyes;
who perhaps was the most
cruel and hardhearted among them; and it appears from the affair of Shechem
that he was a man of a fierce and bloody disposition. According to Jarchi
it
was he that said to Levi
on sight of Joseph
behold this dreamer cometh; and
that it was he that cast him into the pit; and
as the Targum says
advised to
kill him: and perhaps Joseph might pitch upon him as the hostage
not only
because he had used him more evilly than the rest
but because he might observe
he was less concerned
and not so much humbled now for the evil he had done as
the rest were; as also he might choose to detain him
as being not so much in
his father's affection
because of the affair of Shechem
and so be a less
affliction to him than if it was another; and besides
he might fear that being
of a perverse and boisterous disposition
he would vehemently oppose the
sending of Benjamin into Egypt
which Joseph was so very desirous of: and he
bound him in their presence to terrify them
and let them know what they must
expect if they did not obey his orders
and the more to humble them for the sin
they had been guilty of
and was now upon their minds; though perhaps
as
Jarchi observes
when they were gone he let him out
and gave him food and
drink; or however might give him some liberty
and use him with mildness and
gentleness.
Genesis 42:25. 25 Then
Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain
to restore every man’s
money to his sack
and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for
them.
YLT 25And Joseph commandeth
and
they fill their vessels [with] corn
also to put back the money of each unto
his sack
and to give to them provision for the way; and one doth to them so.
Then Joseph
commanded to fill their sacks with corn
....
Which was as much as they
came for:
and to restore
every man's money into his sack;
the money paid by each for
his quantity of corn delivered to him
not into the person's hands
but to be
put into his sack privately
and unknown to him:
and to give
them provision for the way;
sufficient both for
themselves and for their cattle
that they might carry the whole of what corn
they bought to their families:
and thus did he
unto them; that is
not Joseph
but his steward or deputy
or however the
servant that he gave the above order to.
Genesis 42:26. 26 So
they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.
YLT 26And they lift up their corn
upon their asses
and go from thence
And they laded
their asses with the corn
....
Cattle very fit to carry
burdens
and no doubt they had each of them one at least:
and departed
thence;
from the place where
Joseph was
and from the land of Egypt.
Genesis 42:27. 27 But
as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the
encampment
he saw his money; and there it was
in the mouth of his sack.
YLT 27and the one openeth his
sack to give provender to his ass at a lodging-place
and he seeth his money
and lo
it [is] in the mouth of his bag
And as one of
them opened his sack
....
According to the Targum of
Jonathan and Jarchi
this was Levi; but Aben Ezra thinks it is more likely to
be Reuben the firstborn
who was one
that is
the first of them:
to give his ass
provender in the inn;
at which they lay very
probably the first night of their journey; a good man regards the life of his
beast
and takes care of that as well as of himself
and generally in the first
place:
he espied his
money;
the money which he paid
for his corn:
for
behold
it
was in his sack's mouth;
just as he opened it.
Genesis 42:28. 28 So
he said to his brothers
“My money has been restored
and there it is
in my
sack!” Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid
saying to one
another
“What is this that God has done to us?”
YLT 28and he saith unto his
brethren
`My money hath been put back
and also
lo
in my bag:' and their
heart goeth out
and they tremble
one to another saying
`What [is] this God
hath done to us!'
And he said
unto his brethren
my money is restored
....
The money paid for the
corn is returned:
and
lo
it
is even in my sack;
this put them all upon
opening their sacks
where every man found his money
though not expressed
see
Genesis 43:21
and their heart
failed them;
through surprise and fear;
or "went out"F3ויצא לבם "et exiit cor eorum"
Montanus
Drusius
Piscator
Schmidt. front them
as it were
they were ready to faint and swoon
away:
and they were
afraid;
their consciences being
awakened
and loaded with the guilt of their former sins
they were afraid that
more evil was coming upon them for them; and that this was a scheme laid to
entrap them
and that they should be pursued and seized
and fetched back
and
charged with a fraud and trick
as going off with their corn without paying for
it:
saying one to
another
what is this that God hath done unto us?
for whoever was the
instrument
they concluded the overruling hand of divine Providence was in it
for the further chastisement and correction of them for their iniquity: instead
of being thus frightened and distressed
it is very much it did not give them
suspicion of Joseph
that he was the person they had been conversing with
and
that he had done this in kindness to them; but their minds were so pressed with
the guilt of their sin
that they were possessed of nothing but fears and
dreadful apprehensions of things
and put the worst construction upon them they
could
as men in such circumstances usually do
even fear where no fear is
or
no occasion for it.
Genesis 42:29. 29 Then
they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had
happened to them
saying:
YLT 29And they come in unto Jacob
their father
to the land of Canaan
and they declare to him all the things
meeting them
saying
And they came
unto Jacob their father
unto the land of Canaan
....
Without being pursued and
fetched back
or retarded in their journey as they might fear:
and told him
all that befell unto them;
chiefly what befell them
while in Egypt:
saying
as follows.
Genesis 42:30. 30 “The
man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us
and took us for spies
of the country.
YLT 30`The man
the lord of the
land
hath spoken with us sharp things
and maketh us as spies of the land;
The man
who
is the lord of the land
....
Of Egypt; not the king
but the deputy governor of it
whose authority under Pharaoh was very great
and reached to the whole land
and all political affairs
and especially what
related to the corn
and the sale of it; he
say they:
spake roughly
to us;
gave them hard words
and
stern looks
and used them in a very rough manner
see Genesis 42:7
and took us for
spies of the country;
laid such a charge against
them
and treated them as such; or "gave" themF4ויתן "et dedit"
Pagninus
Montanus
Schmidt;
"sive tradidit"
Fagius
Vatablus.
committed them to prison
as such.
Genesis 42:31. 31 But we said to him
‘We are
honest men; we are not spies.
YLT 31and we say unto him
We
[are] right men
we have not been spies
And we said
unto him
we are true men
....
Honest
upright men
not
given to treacherous and treasonable practices
either in the country where they
lived
or any other; they came to Egypt with no ill design upon the country
only to buy corn for the relief of their families in necessity:
we are no spies;
or never wereF5לא היינו "non fuimus"
Montanus; "nunquam fuimus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Schmidt. : they had never been guilty of such practices
and never charged with
anything of that kind; they denied the charge
and detested the character.
Genesis 42:32. 32 We
are twelve brothers
sons of our father; one is no more
and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’
YLT 32we [are] twelve brethren
sons of our father
the one is not
and the young one [is] to-day with our
father in the land of Canaan.
We be
twelve brethren
sons of our father
....
All brethren by the
father's side
though not by the mother's
and by one father; they had been twelve
and were so now
though they knew it not
supposing that one was dead
as is
next observed:
one is
not;
is not alive
but dead;
the Targum of Jonathan is
"what is become of one we know not"
and the
youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan;
see Genesis 42:13.
Genesis 42:33. 33 Then
the man
the lord of the country
said to us
‘By this I will know that you are
honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me
take food
for the famine of your households
and be gone.
YLT 33`And the man
the lord of
the land
saith unto us
By this I know that ye [are] right men -- one of your
brethren leave with me
and [for] the famine of your houses take ye and go
And the man
the lord of the country
said unto us
hereby shall I know that you are
true men
....
This will be a proof and
demonstration of it:
leave one of
your brethren here with me;
as an hostage; they do not
say "bound in the prison"
Genesis 42:19
as
Joseph did
because they would not grieve their father
at least would not tell
him of it at once
lest it should too much affect him:
and take food
for the famine of your household
and be gone;
that is
corn for the
relief of their families
being distressed with a famine.
Genesis 42:34. 34 And
bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not
spies
but that you are honest men. I will grant your
brother to you
and you may trade in the land.’”
YLT 34and bring your young
brother unto me
and I know that ye [are] not spies
but ye [are] right men;
your brother I give to you
and ye trade with the land.'
And
bring your
youngest brother unto me
....
Their brother Benjamin:
then shall I
know that you are no spies
but that you are true men;
he knew they were no spies
now
but true
honest
upright men
with respect to any designs upon the
country; but then he should own and acknowledge them to be such
having such
plain proof that what they said was true:
so will I deliver your brother;
their brother Simeon
who
was left bound; though this circumstance they also here studiously conceal from
their father:
and ye shall
traffic in the land;
not only for corn
but for
any other commodity Egypt furnished its neighbours with.
Genesis 42:35. 35 Then
it happened as they emptied their sacks
that surprisingly each man’s bundle of
money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of
money
they were afraid.
YLT 35And it cometh to pass
they
are emptying their sacks
and lo
the bundle of each man's silver [is] in his
sack
and they see their bundles of silver
they and their father
and are
afraid;
And it came to
pass
as they emptied their sacks
....
Both those in which were
the corn they had bought
and those in which were their provender for their
cattle
and provision for themselves:
that
behold
every man's bundle of money was in his sack;
the same purse
and the
same pieces of money
gold or silver
they had paid to the steward:
and when both
they and their father saw the bundles of money
they were afraid;
the Targum of Jonathan
adds
"because of Simeon
whom they had left there;'fearing that they
should he charged with theft or fraud
and that Simeon would be put to death;
they had opened their sacks before
and found their money in them
but put it
up again as it was
in order to open them in their father's presence
from whom
they thought proper to conceal this circumstance
lest he should blame them for
not returning to the governor with their money upon the first notice of it
when they had travelled but one day's journey; wherefore they make no mention of
it in the account of things that befell them
and express their surprise and
fear upon finding it when they opened their sacks
as if they had known
nothing of it before; though it may be their fears were renewed and increased
by what Jacob might observe to them
as the consequence of it
which they had
not so thoroughly considered before.
Genesis 42:36. 36 And
Jacob their father said to them
“You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more
Simeon is no more
and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are
against me.”
YLT 36and Jacob their father
saith unto them
`Me ye have bereaved; Joseph is not
and Simeon is not
and
Benjamin ye take -- against me have been all these.'
And Jacob their
father said unto them
me have ye bereaved of my children
....
Which looks as if Jacob
suspected that they had either sold or slain Joseph
and had done one or the
other by Simeon:
Joseph is
not
and Simeon is not:
neither of them were with
him
and both were given up by him as dead
or
as the Targum of Jonathan
paraphrases it
"of Joseph ye have said an evil beast hath devoured him;
and Simeon
ye say
the king of the country hath bound him;'as for Joseph he
knew not but he was dead
he feared he was; and as for Simeon
he being in the
hands of so rough a man as they had represented the lord of the land to be
and
especially as his release depended upon sending Benjamin
which he was
determined at present not to do; he was reckoned by him as a lost or dead man:
and ye will
take Benjamin away;
they were desirous of it
and what their design was he could not tell; he seems to have a strong
suspicion that it was not good:
all these
things are against me;
against his will
his
peace
and comfort
and happiness
though they were all working and would work
as they did for his good
and for the good of his family
for the preservation
of it during the seven years of famine; or are "upon me"F6עלי "super me"
Montanus
Schmidt; "vel.
in me"
V. L. Vatablus.
as heavy burdens
too heavy for him to bear
ready to sink him down to the earth.
Genesis 42:37. 37 Then
Reuben spoke to his father
saying
“Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back
to you; put him in my hands
and I will bring him back to you.”
YLT 37And Reuben speaketh unto
his father
saying
`My two sons thou dost put to death
if I bring him not in
unto thee; give him into my hand
and I -- I bring him back unto thee;'
And Reuben
spoke unto his father
....
Being the eldest son
it
most property lay upon him to make answer to his father in the name of his
brethren
and to offer a word of comfort to him:
saying
slay my
two sons
if I bring him not to thee;
meaning not Simeon
who
was in Egypt
but Benjamin
whom it was proposed to take thither
and whom
Jacob was very loath to part with; and to persuade him to it Reuben offers to
him
and gives him leave to slay his two sons
or rather two of his sonsF7את שני בני
"duos filiorum meorum"
Piscator; so Ainsworth.
since he had four
Genesis 46:9; if he
did not bring Benjamin again to him: this was a strange proposal
for what were
two sons of his to his own son
so exceedingly beloved by him? besides
to lose
his own son
and to have two of his grandchildren slain
would have been an
increase of his sorrow and grief
instead of being an alleviation of it; but Reuben's
meaning was
not that his children should be slain
but this he says
to show
that he would be as careful and solicitous for the return of Benjamin as if the
life of two sons of his lay at stake
and was so confident of it that he could
risk the life of them upon it
who were as dear to him as one Benjamin was to
his father:
deliver him
into my hand
and I will bring him to thee again;
he undertook to be
responsible for him.
Genesis 42:38. 38 But
he said
“My son shall not go down with you
for his brother is dead
and he is
left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go
then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
YLT 38and he saith
`My son doth
not go down with you
for his brother [is] dead
and he by himself is left;
when mischief hath met him in the way in which ye go
then ye have brought down
my grey hairs in sorrow to sheol.'
And he said
my
son shall not go down with you
....
He gives a peremptory
denial; this was his then present resolution and determination:
for his brother
is dead;
meaning Joseph
Benjamin's
own brother by father and mother's side; him he supposed to be dead
such
circumstances being related and produced
which made it highly probable
and he
had not heard anything of him for twenty two years:
and he is left
alone;
Benjamin being the only
surviving child of his dearly beloved Rachel
as he thought:
if mischief
befall him by the way in which ye go;
that is
to Egypt
whether
by thieves and robbers
or by the fatigue of the journey
or by any means
whatever
so that he loses his life. All the Targums interpret this mischief of
death:
then shall ye
bring down my gray heirs with sorrow to the grave;
the sense is
should this
be the case he should never lift up his head
or have any more comfort in this
world
but should pass his time with continual sorrow until his gray head was
laid in the grave
or till he came to the state of the dead.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》