Genesis 42:7
in Genesis 42And 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
KJV
And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
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This verse in Genesis 42
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3379: “Rough, But Friendly” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
AN immense number of persons came down into Egypt from all parts of the world to buy corn. Many of these Joseph never saw. Many others came into his presence. I do not find that of all who came, he treated any of them roughly, except his own brothers. "Strange!" you will say, and if you did not know the sequel of the story, it would not only seem strange, but cruel. You would not know how to account for such a thing. Very like this is the manner of God's Providence.
This site's exposition
Joseph was the ruler of the land
on Genesis 42:6-8
His brothers bow to the ground in front of him, and the sheaves of his first dream are standing up. He recognized them, he spoke harshly to them, and he treated them as strangers. Jacob had fooled a blind father with his brother's clothing, these men had fooled Jacob with a coat and goat's blood, and now the brother they sold speaks to them through an Egyptian face. Spurgeon read the harsh speech as kindness at work.
This site's exposition
he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them
Recognized and treated them as strangers come from one Hebrew root, nakar, set side by side in this verse. The same root ran through 37:32 and 38:25, where a robe and a seal were held up to be recognized. He already knows his brothers come from Canaan.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When he was in the borders of Egypt that lay next to Canaan, perhaps it would not have been above three or four days journey for him in his chariot. 'Tis a probable conjecture, that his whole management of himself in this affair was by special direction from heaven, that the purpose of God, concerning Jacob and his family, might be accomplished.
And Joseph saw his brethren,....
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֥רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| יוֹסֵ֛ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶחָ֖יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם | vaiyakirem | and he recognized them | H5234 → | 49 times |
| וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר | vaiyitnaker | and he acted as a stranger | H5234 → | 49 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אִתָּ֣ם | ʾitam | with them | H854 → | 929 times |
| קָשׁ֗וֹת | kashot | harsh | H7186 → | |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶם֙ | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֵאַ֣יִן | meayin | from where? | H370 → | |
| בָּאתֶ֔ם | batem | have you come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֵאֶ֥רֶץ | meeretz | from [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כְּנַ֖עַן | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| לִשְׁבָּר־ | lishbor- | to buy | H7666 → | 21 times |
| אֹֽכֶל׃ | ʾokhel | food | H400 → | 43 times |
וַיַּ֥רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
יוֹסֵ֛ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶחָ֖יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וַיַּכִּרֵ֑םand he recognized them
vaiyakiremH5234 →49 times
וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨רand he acted as a stranger
vaiyitnakerH5234 →49 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֜םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
וַיְדַבֵּ֧רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
אִתָּ֣םwith them
ʾitamH854 →929 times
קָשׁ֗וֹתharsh
kashotH7186 →
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶם֙to them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
מֵאַ֣יִןfrom where?
meayinH370 →
בָּאתֶ֔םhave you come
batemH935 →2568 times
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
מֵאֶ֥רֶץfrom [the] land of
meeretzH776 →2504 times
כְּנַ֖עַןCanaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
לִשְׁבָּר־to buy
lishbor-H7666 →21 times
אֹֽכֶל׃food
ʾokhelH400 →43 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3379: “Rough, But Friendly” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, sermon 'Rough, But Friendly'; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.