Genesis 42:28
in Genesis 42“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?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God hath done unto us?
KJV
And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
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This verse in Genesis 42
Commentary
7 notes on this verse"There is grain in Egypt"; that is, where the famine is greater, the abundance is greater. There is much grain in Egypt. Surely, and God the Father says, "Out of Egypt I called my son!" Such is the fecundity of that grain, for there could not have been a harvest unless the Egyptians had sown the grain earlier. There is then grain that no one earlier believed to exist. The patriarchs engaged in negotiations in regard to this grain. And they indeed brought money, but the good Joseph gave them the grain and gave them back the money.
This site's exposition
he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack
on Genesis 42:27-28
One sack is opened at the lodging place for donkey feed, and the silver is lying in its mouth. Their hearts sank, and the question they ask is what God has done to us. This is the first time these men name God in what is happening to them. A kindness frightened them worse than the accusation had.
This site's exposition
Their hearts sank, and trembling
Their hearts sank renders a Hebrew phrase for the heart going out of a man. The returned silver could make them look like thieves before a ruler who already calls them spies. They trace it to God, with verse 21 still in their minds.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he said unto his brethren, my money is restored,....
Their own consciences also were awake, and their sins set in order before them; and this put them into confusion. Note, (1.) When men's spirits are sinking every thing helps to sink them. (2.) When the events of Providence concerning us are surprising it is good to enquire what it is that God has done and is doing with us, and to consider the operation of his hands.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Their heart failed them - ויצא לבם valyetse libbam, their heart went out. This refers to that spasmodic affection which is felt in the breast at any sudden alarm or fright. Among the common people in our own country we find an expression exactly similar, “My heart was ready to leap out at my mouth,” used on similar occasions. What is this that God hath done unto us? - Their guilty consciences, now thoroughly awakened, were in continual alarms; they felt that they deserved God’s curse, and every occurrence served to confirm and increase their suspicions.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money--This private generosity was not an infringement of his duty--a defrauding of the revenue. He would have a discretionary power--he was daily enriching the king's exchequer--and he might have paid the sum from his own purse.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶחָיו֙ | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| הוּשַׁ֣ב | hushav | it has been returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| כַּסְפִּ֔י | kaspi | silver my | H3701 → | 403 times |
| וְגַ֖ם | vegam | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑י | veamtachti | in sack my | H572 → | 15 times |
| וַיֵּצֵ֣א | vaiyetze' | and it went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| לִבָּ֗ם | libam | heart their | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּ | vaiyecherdu | and they trembled | H2729 → | |
| אִ֤ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אָחִיו֙ | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| זֹּ֛את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| עָשָׂ֥ה | ʾasah | has he done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לָֽנוּ׃ | lanu | to <the> us |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֶחָיו֙brothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
הוּשַׁ֣בit has been returned
hushavH7725 →1056 times
כַּסְפִּ֔יsilver my
kaspiH3701 →403 times
וְגַ֖םand also
vegamH1571 →769 times
הִנֵּ֣הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑יin sack my
veamtachtiH572 →15 times
וַיֵּצֵ֣אand it went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
לִבָּ֗םheart their
libamH3820 →595 times
וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּand they trembled
vaiyecherduH2729 →
אִ֤ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אָחִיו֙brother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
זֹּ֛אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
עָשָׂ֥הhas he done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
לָֽנוּ׃to <the> us
lanu
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
Isaiah 45:7I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:13–14
Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
- Amos 3:6
If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?
- Psalms 75:7
but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.
- Job 2:10
“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Isaiah 31:2
Yet He too is wise and brings disaster; He does not call back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked and against the allies of evildoers.
- Ecclesiastes 7:13–14
Through
Lamentations 3:37Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
it leads to
- Psalms 33:9–11
For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
- Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Psalms 33:9–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Joseph the Patriarch; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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.