Genesis 42:16
in Genesis 42Send 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!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 42
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Just as I said, you are spies
on Genesis 42:14-17
The test he sets has one aim, getting Benjamin down to Egypt. As surely as Pharaoh lives is the oath of the country he governs, and Adam Clarke reads it as the speech of the Egyptian they take him to be. Then he holds all ten in custody for three days. In chapter 37 they threw their brother into a pit and sat down to eat.
This site's exposition
Send one of your number to get your brother
Under these first terms nine men sit in custody while one goes home, and the households in Canaan go hungry. Three days later Joseph reverses the numbers at verse 19. The change comes with his words about fearing God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother,....
When Peter would prove himself no disciple of Christ, he cursed and swore. Now why was Joseph thus hard upon his brethren? We may be sure it was not from a spirit of revenge, that he might now trample upon those who had formerly trampled upon him; he was not a man of that temper.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שִׁלְח֨וּ | shilchu | send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מִכֶּ֣ם | mikem | of <the> yourselves | ||
| אֶחָד֮ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְיִקַּ֣ח | veyikach | so he may fetch | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲחִיכֶם֒ | ʾachikhem | brother your | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְאַתֶּם֙ | veatem | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| הֵאָ֣סְר֔וּ | heaseru | be imprisoned | H631 → | 72 times |
| וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙ | veyibachanu | so they may be tested | H974 → | |
| דִּבְרֵיכֶ֔ם | divreikhem | words your | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַֽאֱמֶ֖ת | haemet | ¿ [is] truth | H571 → | 127 times |
| אִתְּכֶ֑ם | ʾitekhem | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֕א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חֵ֣י | chei | [by] [the] life of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| פַרְעֹ֔ה | faroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מְרַגְּלִ֖ים | meragelim | [are] spies | H7270 → | 25 times |
| אַתֶּֽם׃ | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
שִׁלְח֨וּsend
shilchuH7971 →845 times
מִכֶּ֣םof <the> yourselves
mikem
אֶחָד֮one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
וְיִקַּ֣חso he may fetch
veyikachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲחִיכֶם֒brother your
ʾachikhemH251 →630 times
וְאַתֶּם֙and you
veatemH859 →1094 times
הֵאָ֣סְר֔וּbe imprisoned
heaseruH631 →72 times
וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙so they may be tested
veyibachanuH974 →
דִּבְרֵיכֶ֔םwords your
divreikhemH1697 →1440 times
הַֽאֱמֶ֖ת¿ [is] truth
haemetH571 →127 times
אִתְּכֶ֑םwith you
ʾitekhemH854 →929 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֕אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
חֵ֣י[by] [the] life of
cheiH2416 →498 times
פַרְעֹ֔הPharaoh
farohH6547 →274 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מְרַגְּלִ֖ים[are] spies
meragelimH7270 →25 times
אַתֶּֽם׃you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
4 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 42:11We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
it leads to
- Genesis 42:19
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.
- 2 Corinthians 6:4
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;
- John 7:18
He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.
- Genesis 42:33–34
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…
- Genesis 42:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.