Genesis 42:13
in Genesis 42But 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said, We 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.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 42
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
Your servants have come to buy food
on Genesis 42:10-13
Under pressure they hand over the family register, twelve brothers, the sons of one man in Canaan, and they tell the lord of the land that one brother is no more. John Gill notes that their first answer had sounded as if there were no other sons, so the fuller count reads like a story adjusted under test. The brother they call no more is listening.
This site's exposition
one is no more
Their phrase for Joseph never says what happened to him. The same Hebrew word stands behind Reuben's cry at the empty pit in 37:30, and Jacob uses it of Simeon at verse 36. The youngest at home is the brother Joseph most wants to see.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
O what duplicity! They included in the number even the one sold to merchants and said not "We were twelve" but "We are twelve; see, the youngest is with our father." This in fact was what Joseph was anxious to learn, whether or not they had treated their brother in the same way. "See, the youngest is with our father, while the other one is no longer alive." They did not admit their guilt openly but said simply, "He is no longer alive." From this he arrived at the suspicion that they had done the same thing to Benjamin as well, and so he replied, "That is what I said to you—you are spies. In fact, you are not to leave here until your youngest brother comes here." I want to see him, I desire to set my eyes on the one who caused the same birth pangs as I. Actually, I suspect the same hatred for your brother as you displayed toward me. So if you are prepared to, "send one of your number and bring him here to me"; as for yourselves, stay in prison until he arrives. You see, when he arrives he will clear you of all suspicion. If in fact this doesn't happen, it will be clear that you are spies and have come here for that purpose. With these words "he put them in jail."
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they said, thy servants are twelve brethren,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
One is not - An elliptical sentence, One is not alive.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׁנֵ֣ים | sheneim | [are] two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂר֩ | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אַחִ֧ים׀ | ʾachim | brothers | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֲנַ֛חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֖ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כְּנָ֑עַן | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַקָּטֹ֤ן | hakaton | the young [brother] | H6996 → | 101 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | [is] with | H854 → | 929 times |
| אָבִ֙ינוּ֙ | ʾavinu | father our | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הַיּ֔וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְהָאֶחָ֖ד | vehaechad | and the one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ | ʾeinenu | not [is] he | H369 → | 789 times |
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
שְׁנֵ֣ים[are] two [plus]
sheneimH8147 →768 times
עָשָׂר֩ten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
עֲבָדֶ֨יךָservants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
אַחִ֧ים׀brothers
ʾachimH251 →630 times
אֲנַ֛חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
בְּנֵ֥יsons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
אִישׁ־a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֖דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
כְּנָ֑עַןCanaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הַקָּטֹ֤ןthe young [brother]
hakatonH6996 →101 times
אֶת־[is] with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
אָבִ֙ינוּ֙father our
ʾavinuH1 →1212 times
הַיּ֔וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וְהָאֶחָ֖דand the one
vehaechadH259 →971 times
אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃not [is] he
ʾeinenuH369 →789 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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…
it leads to
- Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
- Genesis 42:38
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…
- Genesis 37:33–35
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
- Genesis 35:18
And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.
- Genesis 43:7–8
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that…
- Genesis 37:3
Through
Genesis 43:7They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that…
it leads to
- Genesis 43:3
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
- Genesis 43:3
Through
Genesis 37:30returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:15
This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
- Genesis 42:32
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.’
- Jeremiah 31:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 64.7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).