And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Father said ... Go again, buy us a little food. This seems to have been after the lapse of a year (Genesis 45:6). It was no easy matter to bring Jacob to agree to the only condition on which his sons could return to Egypt (Genesis 42:15). The necessity of immediately procuring fresh supplies for the maintenance of themselves and their families overcame every other consideration, and extorted his consent to Benjamin joining in a journey which his sons entered on with mingled feelings of hope and anxiety-of hope, because having now complied with the governor's demand to bring down their youngest brother, they flattered themselves that the alleged ground of suspecting them would be removed; and of apprehension, that some ill designs were meditated against them.