Genesischapter 42

A.Ten Brothers Bow in Egyptvv. 1-17

1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.” 5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” 10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.” 12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” 13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.” 14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,

B.Simeon Kept Behind as Hostagevv. 18-24

18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live: 19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented. 21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!” 23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

C.Money Found in the Sacksvv. 25-38

25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, 26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed. 27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. 28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” 29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’” 35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” 38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

The brothers' first trip to Egypt.

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The brothers' first trip to Egypt. Famine drives them down; they bow before Joseph without recognising him. He speaks roughly; accuses them of being spies; holds Simeon; sends the others home with their money in their sacks and the demand that Benjamin be brought. The brothers, terrified at home, confess: ‘we are verily guilty concerning our brother … therefore is this distress come upon us’. Reuben remembers his earlier protest. Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go: ‘all these things are against me’. Henry reads the chapter as the slow work of repentance. Guilt that has waited twenty years finally finds words. Providence is working through fear to bring them to confession.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Genesis overview

A. 1–17 Ten Brothers Bow in Egypt
B. 18–24 Simeon Kept Behind as Hostage
C. 25–38 Money Found in the Sacks

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Genesis 4215 verses
- Genesis 42:1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
- Genesis 42:2“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
- Genesis 42:4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
- Genesis 42:5So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
- Genesis 42:7And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
- Genesis 42:9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
- Read Genesis 42: 9 more there →
Genesis 438 verses
- Genesis 43:1Now the famine was still severe in the land.
- Genesis 43:5But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
- Genesis 43:8And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
- Genesis 43:9I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
- Genesis 43:14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
- Genesis 43:15So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
- Read Genesis 43: 2 more there →
Genesis 378 verses
- Genesis 37:2This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
- Genesis 37:5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
- Genesis 37:7We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
- Genesis 37:8“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
- Genesis 37:23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
- Genesis 37:30returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
- Read Genesis 37: 2 more there →
Genesis 444 verses
- Genesis 44:9If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
- Genesis 44:11So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
- Genesis 44:20And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
- Genesis 44:23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
- Read Genesis 44 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Acts 73 verses
- Acts 7:10and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.
- Acts 7:11Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
- Acts 7:12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
- Read Acts 7 →
Matthew 152 verses
- Matthew 15:21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
- Matthew 15:23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
- Read Matthew 15 →
Genesis 402 verses
- Genesis 40:4The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he became their personal attendant. After they had been in custody for some time,
- Genesis 40:7So he asked the officials of Pharaoh who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so downcast today?”
- Read Genesis 40 →
Genesis 342 verses
- Genesis 34:10You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
- Genesis 34:21“These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.
- Read Genesis 34 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.