Genesis 42:1-38 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Genesis 42. Joseph's Brothers Come to Egypt to Buy Corn, and unwittingly Encounter Joseph. The greater part is taken from E, but Genesis 42:2; Genesis 42:4 b, Genesis 42:5; Genesis 42:7; Genesis 42:9 b - Genesis 42:11 a, Genesis 42:12; Genesis 42:27-28 ab, Genesis 42:38 may be assigned to J. The treatment accorded to the brothers was not less than they deserved, and Joseph meant to punish them. But he meant also to test them and see if they had become better men. Presumably he intended all along to disclose his identity, for there was his father to be considered, but to have done it at once would have made it impossible to find out the real character of his brothers. Hence he racks them with suspense, treats them now harshly, now generously, holds firmly to his predetermined line of conduct though it costs him a hard struggle with his affections, and at last is convinced that love and forgiveness may have free course.

The brothers come down at Jacob's behest, and fulfil Joseph's dreams by prostrating themselves before him, as he personally sells the corn. He recognises them, and charges them with being spies, bent on discovering the weak places in the fortified and jealously-guarded frontier. They meet this with the statement that they are all sons of one man, therefore the rather large number in which they have crossed the frontier is due to kinship, not to political or military combination. They go into detail, and thus not only tell Joseph that he is dead but that they have a younger brother, which gives Joseph the opportunity on which the future development hinges. (According to J the statement is not volunteered but secured in answer to his own inquiry.) Reiterating his charge, he proposes that nine shall be detained and one sent to bring Benjamin, but after three days'suspense in custody he allows nine to take back corn and one to be detained. The brothers own among themselves the justice of the retribution for their callous deafness to Joseph's anguished plea, and Reuben reminds them how he had vainly counselled them against harming him. (They had taken the advice he actually gave, but his real intention had been frustrated.) Joseph now learns, for the first time, of Reuben's intervention, and cannot control his feelings; still he steels himself to carry out his plan, and passing over Reuben, selects Simeon and binds him as a hostage. Their money is put into their sacks with the corn, and provisions for the journey are given them, so that their sacks need not be opened till they reach home. So it fell out according to E (Genesis 42:35), but according to J first one (Genesis 42:27 f.) then all (Genesis 43:21) discovered it at the lodging-place. On their arrival, they report to Jacob, who replies that they have bereaved him of two sons and want to take away a third, to which Reuben replies that his own two sons shall be forfeit if Benjamin does not return. They wish to take him at once that Simeon may be released. Genesis 42:38 belongs rather to the next chapter.

Related Commentaries of Genesis 42:1

Genesis 42:1-38

1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughlya unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

17 And he put them all together into ward three days.

18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.

28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failedb them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughlyc to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.