Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Genesis Chapter 42 mean?

Genesis 42 begins with Jacob sending his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy grain for the family. It ends with him refusing to send his youngest son back as part of a second trip.

Severe famine has gripped the region, just as Joseph had predicted (Genesis 41:53–56). Due to his preparations in Egypt under the authority of Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46–49), Egypt alone has grain for its people and surplus to sell to those in danger of starving after two years of no crops. Jacob’s family is in exactly that position—near starvation—so he sends his ten oldest sons to Egypt with money. Jacob does not send his beloved youngest son Benjamin with them, however. He fears some harm might come to the boy, and he could not bear to lose him (Genesis 42:1–5).

Arriving in Egypt, the brothers unknowingly experience an emotional but one-sided reunion. They come to stand before Joseph himself, bowing low (Genesis 37:5–10), hoping to purchase their grain. Even twenty years after being sold as a seventeen-year-old (Genesis 37:28), Joseph quickly recognizes them. They don’t recognize him, however. Now nearly 40, Joseph had become fully Egyptian in his manner and appearance. The brothers are baffled by this Egyptian ruler’s harsh response to them. After pointedly questioning them about where they are from and why they have come, Joseph flatly accuses them of being spies. He says they have come to discover Egypt’s military weaknesses for some foreign power (Genesis 42:6–12).

Joseph’s brothers understood this accusation could lead to imprisonment or death. They don’t realize the only authority capable of punishing them—Joseph—is not planning to harm them. They quickly protest. They are honest men, normal people, mutual brothers and sons of the same man. They even have one more brother back in Canaan with their father and another brother who is “no more,” meaning Joseph himself. Pressing them further, Joseph again accuses them of being spies. He offers one chance to earn his trust. One of them must return to Canaan and come back with their youngest brother. If they refuse, he will conclude “by the life of Pharaoh” that they have been lying and are truly spies (Genesis 42:13–16).

Then Joseph puts them all in prison for three days to think about it. Perhaps Joseph also needed that time to cool off, as well. After all, it’s likely he never expected to see his family again. It’s entirely reasonable for him to be angry, but later verses show that revenge is not something on his mind (Genesis 47:11–12). Three days later, he presents them with a new plan. If they follow it, he says they will live. Instead of holding nine of them and sending one back, he will instead hold just one of them in prison and send the rest back with full sacks of grain. However, they must return with their youngest brother to save Simeon and buy grain again (Genesis 42:17–20).

The brothers agree, but they are still terrified. Joseph had been speaking to them through an interpreter, who apparently leaves. Assuming Joseph cannot understand them, they speak openly. In remorse, they connect what is happening to their crime of selling Joseph into slavery over twenty years earlier. With genuine remorse, they acknowledge their guilt, expressing that they deserve this suffering. Joseph, still unrecognized, hears it all and weeps, disguising his reaction to preserve his secret. Emotion or not, Joseph sticks to the plan. He selects Simeon to remain behind and binds him in front of them (Genesis 42:21–24).

In another twist, Joseph also orders the brothers’ money be secretly returned to their sacks, along with the grain. This might be a combination of charity and a further way of rebuking and testing them. Since they do not know Joseph has arranged this, the revelation will terrify them when they discover it along the road home. They would be afraid the Egyptians would assume they’d stolen the money, or the grain, or both (Genesis 42:25–28).

As expected, Jacob does not take the news well. He lashes out at the nine of them for losing first Joseph, then Simeon, and now expecting him to risk Benjamin, as well. To lose Benjamin would kill him, Jacob claims. He will not send him to Egypt. In an especially crushing moment of favoritism, he claims Benjamin is the only one he has left—in front of nine other sons (Genesis 42:29–38).

The famine will not be over any time soon, however. Jacob will soon be forced to reconsider his stance (Genesis 43:1–2).

Book Summary
The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God’s chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”

After focusing on Joseph’s experiences in chapters 39, 40, and 41, the spotlight of Genesis swings back to his family in Canaan. The final verses of Genesis 41 described a worldwide famine, drawing people from all over the region to buy food from Egypt. There, the brother sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28) has now become governor of the entire nation.

In Canaan, Joseph’s father Jacob and his family were facing a food shortage, along with everyone else. Jacob would have been quite old by this time. More than twenty years have passed since Joseph’s brothers sold him to passing slave traders to be rid of him. He was seventeen when he was sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28), and it has been more than seven years since he rose to power at the age of thirty (Genesis 41:46, 53–54). For all these years, Jacob has believed his son dead, killed by a wild animal (Genesis 37:31–34).

Now news reaches Jacob and his sons that there is food in Egypt and that it’s for sale. Jacob, still the leader of his clan, becomes unusually impatient. His question is somewhat like the expression “what are you waiting for?” This is not so much a question as a statement: they need to act. They must obtain food before it’s too late.

Context Summary
Genesis 42:1–17 contains the unlikeliest of reunions: that between Joseph and his ten oldest brothers (Genesis 37:28). They have been sent by Jacob to Egypt to buy grain during a terrible famine (Genesis 41:53–54). They don’t recognize their brother, now an Egyptian ruler. Joseph knows them but keeps the secret; he responds harshly to avoid breaking the illusion. He then puts them in prison for three days, saying they might be spies. All the while, he has a plan in mind.

Verse 2. And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”

News has reached Jacob and his large clan (Genesis 35:23–26) that grain can be purchased in Egypt. The whole world is caught in the grip of a terrible famine, and only Egypt has food (Genesis 41:53–54). Jacob seems frustrated with his sons, who are not taking the obvious action: going to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 42:1). It is unclear why the sons have hesitated to take this action.

What none of Jacob’s family know is that Egypt has grain only because of their lost brother, Joseph (Genesis 41:34–36; 55–57). Jacob believes his son is dead (Genesis 37:31–34), but he was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers (Genesis 37:28).

Verse 3. So ten of Joseph ‘s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

The whole world—every civilization anywhere near Egypt—is deep into a terrible famine (Genesis 41:54–57). Many are facing starvation. News reaches Jacob and his clan that grain is available to purchase in Egypt. Apparently, no other options are available. Among those beginning to starve are the family of Jacob, living in Canaan (Genesis 37:1). Jacob had twelve sons (Genesis 35:23–26), but jealousy led the oldest ten to sell the eleventh, Joseph, into slavery (Genesis 37:28). Jacob was fooled into thinking Joseph was dead (Genesis 37:31–34).

It is these ten sons of Jacob who head to Egypt to buy food. They cannot know, however, that the one in charge of selling the food is the very same brother they sold into slavery over twenty years earlier (Genesis 41:44). For his part, Jacob is unwilling to lose another son of his late wife, Rachel (Genesis 35:16–19), so he refuses to send the youngest, Benjamin (Genesis 42:4).

Verse 4. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph ‘s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.

A famine has gripped the world. Like so many others, Jacob’s large family (Genesis 35:23–26; 37:1) would face starvation if they can not find food. News has reached them that grain can be purchased in Egypt (Genesis 41:53–54). Impatient at their lack of action, Jacob sends his ten oldest sons to buy what they can (Genesis 42:1–3).

However, Jacob does not send his youngest son Benjamin. Benjamin and Joseph were the only sons of Jacob’s beloved late wife Rachel (Genesis 35:16–19). Thanks to a jealous lie, Jacob believes his son Joseph is dead (Genesis 37:31–34), when in truth he was sold by his ten older brothers (Genesis 37:28). It is those same ten brothers who are about to enter Egypt to buy food—not knowing that the man they need to see is their own lost brother (Genesis 41:46, 53–54).

Even in his old age, we recognize the patterns of Jacob’s life. Jacob has already lost both Rachel and Joseph. He lives in fear of harm coming to Benjamin, as well. His decisions are still driven by anxiety. He still gives preferential treatment to Rachel and her children, over his other wives and their sons (Genesis 37:3–4).

Verse 5. Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Sent by their father Jacob from the Promised Land of Canaan (Genesis 37:1), the ten oldest “sons of Israel” (Genesis 35:10) arrive in Egypt. They find themselves among the throng of travelers from many lands, all looking to buy food to help their people survive the desperate famine (Genesis 42:1–4). Their younger brother, Benjamin, has not come along. Their father believes he has lost one son to death (Genesis 37:31–34), not knowing Joseph was sold as a slave by the jealous older sons (Genesis 37:28).

One reason for the brothers’ hatred of Joseph were his dreams, which predicted they would one day bow to him (Genesis 37:5–11). They don’t know that the brother they hated and sold is now the governor of the entire nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:44, 56). The unlikeliest of reunions is about to take place, and each of these ten men will end up bowing in submission, just as the dreams predicted (Genesis 42:6). This will ultimately lead the entire family to come to Egypt, under the leadership of Joseph (Genesis 47:11–12).

Verse 6. Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph ‘s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

Joseph continues to rule over Egypt, overseeing the work of selling food to people afflicted by the famine (Genesis 41:44, 56). Some twenty years prior to the moment depicted here, he came to Egypt as a slave, sold out of jealousy by his ten older brothers (Genesis 37:28). God used Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams to place him as second in command over the entire nation (Genesis 41:14–16; 40–41).

Part of the brothers’ jealousy came from Joseph’s dreams, which predicted his brothers would one day bow before him in submission (Genesis 37:5–11). Suddenly, Joseph’s own brothers, the very ones who sold him into slavery, come before him to buy food. They bow low before him with their faces to the ground. This act of humility may have been a sign of respect in this era, but it also showed that the “sons of Israel” realized their vulnerable position. They needed grain from Egypt to survive. They assumed the posture of submissive servants.

Of course, their act of bowing before Joseph comes very close to fulfilling the prophetic dreams he had as a teenager (Genesis 37:5–11). In those dreams, however, eleven brothers bowed before him. Only ten have come to Egypt, for now, but eventually the entire family will come to live under his protection (Genesis 47:11–12).

The brothers do not recognize Joseph. He has the appearance of an Egyptian royal, perhaps with a dramatically shaved head (Genesis 41:14), gold collar, and linen robes (Genesis 41:42). He bears an Egyptian name (Genesis 41:45). He would also have matured greatly since they last saw him as a seventeen–year-old (Genesis 37:2). Joseph will recognize them, but maintain his secret at first (Genesis 42:7–8).

Verse 7. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

When Joseph was just seventeen years old (Genesis 37:2), his jealous older brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:28). Thirteen years later, Joseph ascended to second-in-command over the entire nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:41–46). A further seven years of prosperity followed (Genesis 41:53–54), and then a famine. Joseph is now nearing forty years of age. He wears the clothes of an Egyptian officer (Genesis 41:14, 42) and uses an Egyptian name (Genesis 41:45). As the world struggles under the famine, only Egypt has food thanks to Joseph’s work (Genesis 41:55–57).

One can only imagine how shocked Joseph must have been to see his own brothers appear to ask to buy grain (Genesis 42:1–6). Adding to the drama, the men are bowing to him—exactly as Joseph predicted they would so many years ago (Genesis 37:5–11). The following verses will show that Joseph does not harbor a grudge; at the same time, he is reasonably suspicious of how his brothers might react to his survival. And, it is entirely reasonable for Joseph to feel a surge of anger, as he once again faces the family members who horribly betrayed him.

For all these reasons, Joseph speaks to them as if he neither knows nor trusts them. This is partly to disguise his own emotions (Genesis 42:23–24). It also gives him opportunity to test their intentions. They answer truthfully, revealing to him they still dwell in Canaan (Genesis 37:1). They have come to buy food, along with so many others facing starvation due to the famine.

Verse 8. And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

Joseph’s brothers have aged at least two decades since he last saw them. He was seventeen when they sold him as a slave (Genesis 37:2, 28), thirty when he rose to power in Egypt (Genesis 41:46–47, 53–54), and he has governed the nation for more than seven years (Genesis 41:53–54). Had Joseph seen just one of his brothers, he might not have known who he was, at first. But he had the advantage of seeing them all together. These were the faces of his long-lost family; they are also the faces of his betrayers.

The brothers don’t recognize Joseph, however. That is no surprise. Not only has he aged from seventeen to nearly forty, but he has also adapted the fashion and appearance of Egyptian royalty, including an Egyptian name, wife, and sons (Genesis 41:42–43, 50–52). He speaks Egyptian (Genesis 42:23).

At first, Joseph chooses to maintain his secret (Genesis 42:7). This is partly to contain his own emotions (Genesis 42:24). It’s likely due to a well-justified sense of anger, as well. It is also to allow for the brothers to be tested, as the following chapters explain.

Verse 9. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

Genesis now reminds us of the prophetic dreams from Joseph’s boyhood (Genesis 37:5–11). Joseph thinks of them in this moment. He had dreamed he and his brother were binding sheaves in the field. His sheaf stood up; all their sheaves bowed down before him. In another dream, the sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing before him as stand-ins for his parents and brothers. Partly in response to those dreams, the ten older brothers jealously sold Joseph as a slave (Genesis 37:28). Some twenty years later, Joseph is the governor of all Egypt (Genesis 41:46–47, 53–54), and his brothers are unknowingly bowing before him as they seek to buy food (Genesis 42:1–6). Joseph certainly remembers how his brothers had hated him for telling about his God-given dreams. Now ten of them have done exactly what the dreams foretold.

At first, it would seem Joseph intends to use his power as Egypt’s governor to do harm to his brothers. He accuses them of being foreign spies. He insists they have come to gather intelligence on Egypt’s weaknesses for an enemy nation. Foreign spies could be executed for the sake of national security. It would be easy for Joseph to take his full revenge against his brothers if he so chose. No one could blame him for being angry when faced with his traitorous brothers. And yet, Joseph is not looking for vengeance (Genesis 41:23–24); he is working on an immediate plan to test—and ultimately rescue—his brothers (Genesis 47:11–12).

Verse 10. They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food.

Few people would blame Joseph for being harsh, or even vengeful, upon seeing his brothers once again (Genesis 37:28; 42:6–9). He certainly seems angry (Genesis 42:7). And yet, his accusations and tough speech are also meant to disguise his own emotions (Genesis 42:23–24). Throughout what happens in the next few chapters, his actions are meant to test and prepare his brothers, whom he seeks to rescue (Genesis 43:30; 45:1–5). The end of Joseph’s plan is to bring the entire family into safety in Egypt (Genesis 47:11–12).

Joseph’s brothers recoil at the idea that they are spies. They recognize how serious the charge is. It could lead to their imprisonment or execution. They restate their true purpose for being in Egypt. They have come to buy food (Genesis 42:1–5) like everyone else afflicted by the famine (Genesis 41:55–56).

Verse 11. We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

Joseph has accused his ten older brothers of being spies. He declares that they have come to Egypt to spy for a foreign power. They are trying to defend themselves, insisting they have come only to buy food in the famine (Genesis 42:6–10). Their language is the common style of that era: politely referring to themselves as the servants of the other. The situation is unique, however, in that Joseph alone has the power to act on that accusation (Genesis 41:44). The brothers do not realize that the Egyptian governor, whom they know as Zaphenath-paneah (Genesis 41:45), is the brother they sold into slavery twenty years ago (Genesis 37:28). Joseph’s intent is not revenge, but to test his family; the end goal is to bring them all safely into Egypt (Genesis 47:11–12).

Since the ten men (Genesis 41:1–5) don’t know this is their brother, they reveal another detail: They are all sons of the same man (Genesis 35:23–26). Joseph knows this, of course, but it is information he can use to learn more about them. They conclude by declaring that they are honest men who have never been spies. This might have been another reason for Joseph’s harsh approach: coercing his brothers to give him more longed-for information about his family.

Verse 12. He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.”

In most circumstances, false accusations could lead to an innocent person being jailed or executed. Joseph has accused his ten older brothers of spying (Genesis 42:9–11), a crime of which they are innocent (Genesis 42:1–5). As it happens, Joseph is now the governor of all Egypt (Genesis 42:6), so there is no actual danger. Of course, his brothers do not know this, because they don’t recognize him as the boy sold into slavery some twenty years in the past (Genesis 37:28).

They have flatly denied his charge, revealing a little more of their story. He refuses their defense, however, and makes the accusation again. Here, Joseph repeats his challenge: that these men have come to Egypt to find military weaknesses to report back to some foreign power.

It’s difficult to know Joseph’s complete motivation in this exchange. He knows, of course, that his brothers are not spies. This does not seem to be revenge on them for what they did to him all those years ago, else he would likely have revealed himself and had them punished. At least part of the motive seems to be to maintain his secret (Genesis 42:23–24; 43:30; 45:1–5). This makes it likely Joseph is simply using an interrogation technique—intimidation—to wring out more information about his family.

Verse 13. And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”

Joseph has accused his ten older brothers of coming to Egypt as spies of some foreign power. They have truthfully insisted they are all the sons of one man sent to buy food for their people (Genesis 42:1–5). They don’t realize that Joseph is their once-hated brother (Genesis 37:28), and that despite his anger (Genesis 42:7), he has no intent of harming them.

Now they continue to provide details about their lives. Their intent is to explain how little they have in common with spies by describing the specifics of their ordinary lives. They repeat that they are all the sons of one man living in Canaan (Genesis 37:1). In addition, they mention, their youngest brother is back home with their father. The twelfth son they mention is Joseph himself; he is the one their father believes is dead (Genesis 37:31–34). It was fear of losing another son which led Jacob to keep Benjamin, the youngest, at home.

By backing his brothers into a corner, Joseph has provoked them to tell him information he must have longed to hear. He now knows his father Jacob and brother Benjamin are both still alive. He also has a clue as to how they explained his disappearance: lying to say that he is “no more.”

Verse 14. But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies.

Joseph’s brothers have denied his accusations that they are spies sent to identify Egypt’s weaknesses (Genesis 42:1–12). They don’t realize who Joseph is; they only know him as Zaphenath-paneah, governor of the entire nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:45). They don’t recognize the brother they sold as a slave twenty years before (Genesis 37:28). Joseph recognizes them, however, and seems to be interrogating them. His purpose is not for revenge—later passages make it clear he has good intentions for his family (Genesis 42:23–24; 43:30; 45:1–5), with the goal of rescuing them from the famine (Genesis 47:11–12).

In hopes of showing that they are just ordinary men, they have told Joseph some of their story: They are all brothers. Their youngest brother is back home with their father. Another brother is “no more,” which refers to their lie about what happened to Joseph himself (Genesis 37:31–34). Joseph repeats the accusation of spying a third time. In other situations, this would have put the brothers at serious risk of death. In this case, since Joseph holds immense power (Genesis 41:41), he controls what happens to these men.

In the following verse, he will describe a way to test if they are telling the truth (Genesis 42:15). This, also, is part of his plan to be fully reunited with his family.

Verse 15. By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

In the eyes of his brothers, Joseph (Genesis 41:41–45) is a powerful Egyptian official. They don’t recognize him as the brother they once jealously sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28). Their attempt to buy food from him (Genesis 41:1–5) has taken an absurd and threatening turn. For no reason they can see, Joseph has accused them of being spies sent to find Egypt’s military weaknesses (Genesis 41:6–14). This is partly to maintain Joseph’s secret, but it also serves to intimidate them into giving more information.

In attempting to show they are honest, normal men, the brothers have revealed that they have another, younger brother back home. Still speaking as an Egyptian official, Joseph has pounced on that information (Genesis 43:6) as a test of their truthfulness. Unless they can show him their brother, he will not believe them and not let them go home (Genesis 42:16–17).

Verse 16. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

Joseph has used a false accusation against his ten older half-brothers to provoke them into telling him about their family back home. Of course, as the governor of Egypt, Joseph alone knows the men are no threat, and that they’re in no danger themselves. His intimidation and harshness (Genesis 42:6–14) are partly meant to maintain his secret and prepare a test. He has learned that both his father, Jacob, and only full brother, Benjamin, are both alive. Joseph decides, seemingly on the spot, that he desperately wants to see Benjamin again (Genesis 42:15).

Still speaking as an Egyptian ruler, Joseph will hold all the brothers in captivity until one of them returns with the youngest brother as evidence they are truthful. If they cannot do this, Joseph will conclude they are indeed spies. In swearing by Pharaoh, Joseph’s brothers would have understood him to be deadly serious.

Verse 17. And he put them all together in custody for three days.

The recent turn of events probably bewildered Joseph’s brothers. After coming to buy food (Genesis 42:1–5), they have been accused by the governor of being spies (Genesis 42:6–14). What they don’t realize is that the governor is their long-lost brother, Joseph, whom these ten men sold into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28). His interrogating, accusing questions would have been frightening and unexpected.

Even the resolution proposed by the Egyptian governor seems strange. Why would he think that bringing their youngest brother to him would prove they are not spies (Genesis 42:15–16)? Modern readers might be confused by Joseph’s actions, as well. He knows who they are. He remembers all they have done to him. We might wonder if he is deciding whether to take revenge on them. The only thing which seems clear here is that Joseph desperately wants to see his younger brother Benjamin; this was the only brother who had no part in selling him into slavery.

Later verses show that Joseph’s intentions, though coupled with righteous anger (Genesis 42:7), are good (Genesis 42:23–24; 43:30; 45:1–5). His end goal is rescuing the family from starvation (Genesis 47:11–12). Everything he does here is a form of testing and preparation for those results.

Prior to letting one brother leave, while the rest remain in custody, Joseph locks them all up together for three days. Apparently, he needs time to decide exactly how to proceed.

Verse 18. On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

Three days have passed since Joseph, now governor of Egypt, has locked all ten of his older half-brothers in prison (Genesis 42:17). The men don’t recognize Joseph. Twenty years passed between when they sold him as a slave (Genesis 37:28) and when they came to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 42:1–5). Though he recognizes them, Joseph keeps his secret and intimidates them into giving more information about the family (Genesis 42:6–16).

Some commentators suggest Joseph was unsure what to do with them. Later passages make it clear he has no mind for revenge (Genesis 42:23–24; 43:30; 45:1–5; 47:11–12). Later, Joseph will even conclude that God meant for him to come to Egypt all along, to save lives (Genesis 50:15–20).

Now, Joseph seems resolved. Given time to process the situation, he has decided on a course of action. He declares this choice is inspired by his fear of God. This may be simply a statement for show—Joseph indeed believes in God, but he might be implying that his actions are being tempered by pagan mercy. Also, his words suggest their lives continue to hang in the balance. His statement that he feared God may have confused them, as well; Egyptians worshiped many gods.

Context Summary
Genesis 42:18–28 describes a powerful Egyptian governor sending nine of Jacob’s sons home with purchased grain, while keeping Simeon as collateral. He commands the others to return only if they can prove their honesty by bringing along their youngest brother. The men tell each other they must be suffering for abusing another brother, Joseph (Genesis 37:28). They don’t realize the governor is Joseph himself (Genesis 42:7) and that he understands their language. After leaving, the horrified brothers find the payment for the grain is still in their bags. They do not know Joseph secretly arranged to give it back to them.

Verse 19. if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,

Joseph (Genesis 37:28) has revealed to his ten half-brothers that he will allow them to live if they do as he says. They still don’t know him as anyone other than a harsh Egyptian official (Genesis 42:1–7). Joseph now tells them to prove their honesty by leaving just one of them behind while the rest travel back to Canaan to return with their youngest brother. If they come back with the younger brother, it proves they were honest, and they will be free.

The intent here seems to be a combination of a test, a rebuke for their betrayal, and a means to bring more of the family to Egypt (Genesis 47:11–12). Still, Joseph insists the returning nine take grain with them to feed their people. Perhaps awareness that his extended family in Canaan may already be starving motivated Joseph to change his plan. Formerly, he had insisted that nine of them stay behind while one goes to fetch the youngest brother (Genesis 42:8–17). Now he reverses that and instructs most of them to leave after paying for their grain.

Verse 20. and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers (Genesis 37:28), only to rise to power as the governor of all Egypt (Genesis 41:44). During the famine predicted by Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41:28–32), Joseph’s brothers have come to buy grain (Genesis 42:1–5). They don’t recognize Joseph, who speaks harshly to them, partly to maintain the secret (Genesis 42:6–17). After holding them for three days, he has told his ten older half-brothers that he will allow them to live if they do as he says. Nine of them must travel back to Canaan with food for their families. One must stay behind as a kind of collateral (Genesis 42:18–19).

In the moment, Joseph’s actions seem vindictive. Later verses, however, show the compassion he has for his family, despite their betrayal. This is a way for Joseph to test his brothers, while giving them a well-deserved rebuke, and to secure his family against starvation (Genesis 47:11–12).

Now Joseph gets to the one point on which he insists: They must return with the youngest brother to prove they have told the truth. If they come back without the boy, he will have them killed. If they never come back, it will mean abandoning their brother forever. The brothers agree to this immediately, but a difficult discussion about the plan will follow.

Verse 21. Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

For a relatively brief three days, ten of Joseph’s brothers are held in an Egyptian prison despite having committed no crime (Genesis 42:17). The brother they sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28) spent years in captivity and false imprisonment (Genesis 40:14–15), before ascending to become the second most powerful man in the nation (Genesis 41:44). When they come to Egypt during a famine, they fail to recognize him, and he holds them for a while before telling them they must return with their youngest brother. One of the ten will have to remain behind as collateral (Genesis 42:7–20).

Immediately, the men begin to discuss things among themselves. Joseph is still in the room. They assume he cannot understand them. He is using an Egyptian name and clothing (Genesis 41:42, 45) and to this point, Joseph has used an interpreter to translate between their Canaanite language and Egyptian (Genesis 42:23). This was part of his deception, of course. He grew up speaking their language.

That means Joseph fully understands when he hears his brothers telling each other their theory on why this is happening to them. Their immediate reaction is to assume they are being punished because of what they did to their “other brother” some twenty years earlier. Not knowing that very brother is standing before them, they express their guilt over seeing his distress and hearing him beg them not to sell him to the slave traders. They conclude their predicament is a result of the suffering they brought on Joseph all those years ago.

The first description of Joseph’s sale into slavery in Genesis 37 did not note his reaction. Now we learn—unsurprisingly—that it was not a calm, stoic event. He begged them not to do it, and they would not listen. It’s not surprising Joseph is struggling with how to respond to them now that he holds all the power over them. His emotions become difficult to contain as he listens (Genesis 42:24).

Verse 22. And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.”

Ten men are standing before a powerful Egyptian official, who has accused them of being spies (Genesis 42:12). They have only come to buy food, however (Genesis 42:1–5). The men have spent three days in jail, awaiting the governor’s decision (Genesis 42:17). He tells them they must leave one brother behind, while the other nine retrieve their youngest brother. This will prove their honesty (Genesis 42:19–20). The men immediately connect these events to a collective sin from their past (Genesis 42:21).

Twenty years prior to the events of this verse, these ten sons of Jacob (Genesis 35:23–26) jealously sold their brother, Joseph, into slavery (Genesis 37:28). They then lied to their father, convincing him the boy was dead (Genesis 37:31–33). Their initial plan was to kill him outright, but were held back by Reuben, who had hoped to rescue him later (Genesis 37:21–22).

Though they know their current state is connected to that crime, they don’t realize the Egyptian official is Joseph, himself (Genesis 41:42–45). They don’t guess he can understand their language without an interpreter (Genesis 42:23). He has heard them clearly express their regret for the suffering they caused to him. In addition, this is likely the first time Joseph learns one of his brothers tried to protect him. This likely factors into his emotional reaction (Genesis 42:24).

Reuben describes the situation by evoking the idea that God holds people accountable for violence against others (Genesis 9:5; Psalm 9:12). He likely assumes Joseph has died in captivity. Or, that by being falsely imprisoned and harassed, they are receiving a share of the harm they did to Joseph. In any case, all the brothers agree they deserve this unexpected imprisonment in Egypt and apparent threat to their lives.

Verse 23. They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

In the prior verses, Joseph’s ten older brothers are confessing their guilt for selling him into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 42:21–22). They speak so openly because they assume he couldn’t understand a word they were saying. They have no idea the Egyptian governor who commands them is their enslaved brother, raised to a position of incredible power (Genesis 41:42–45; 42:8).

To this point, Joseph had used an interpreter to communicate with them, translating between his Egyptian language and their Canaanite or Hebrew tongue. Official business was likely conducted only in Egyptian, but even then, the interpreter was a useful part of Joseph’s deception. His secret is strained, however, as he emotionally reacts to what his brothers are saying (Genesis 42:24). That reaction will happen more than once (Genesis 43:30), proving that Joseph’s reasonable anger (Genesis 42:7) is tempered by a merciful sense of love.

Verse 24. Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

The ten brothers don’t know the man hearing their discussion is Joseph—they only know him as Zaphenath-paneah (Genesis 41:41–45), a powerful vizier of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Joseph’s brothers don’t know he has understood their recent confession (Genesis 42:21–23). They feel guilty for what they did to him as a boy (Genesis 37:28), ignoring his distress and pleas for help while slave traders carried him away to Egypt. They admit they deserve the treatment they are now receiving (Genesis 42:7–17) because of what they did. Joseph has heard how Reuben stood up to his brothers and tried to stop them.

It’s no wonder Joseph must turn away and weep. In hindsight, readers may be surprised to see how little Genesis revealed of Joseph’s emotional responses before these encounters with his brothers. In this moment, however, there is no disguising his feelings. It must have been intensely meaningful, even healing, for Joseph to hear his brothers’ remorse.

Still, he continues with his plan. He will force them to bring his youngest brother Benjamin to him, by holding one of them captive until they do so. He chooses Simeon and ties him up right in front of them. He apparently doesn’t want them to imagine that Simeon will be comfortable while they are away.

Verse 25. And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man ‘s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

Joseph’s brothers still don’t know who he is (Genesis 42:7–8). They came to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 42:1–5), only to be accused of spying and forced to leave one of their number behind as collateral (Genesis 42:18–19). They’ve reached the conclusion that this Egyptian official (Genesis 41:41–45) is persecuting them as God’s judgment on them for what they did to Joseph over twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28). In a sense, they are right.

Simeon has been bound, with clear understanding that he will be held in captivity until the others return with their youngest brother. If they come back without Benjamin, they will die. If they never come back, Simeon will be imprisoned forever. Joseph seems desperately eager to see his only younger brother.

Now Joseph orders their bags filled with grain to carry back to their people. This was the original reason the men came to Egypt. However, in secret, he orders the money they used to pay for the grain placed back in their bags, as well. Once again, Genesis leaves us to guess at Joseph’s exact motives. Perhaps he is moved with compassion and generosity for his family. Perhaps he is setting them up for further accusations. Perhaps he simply wants to bring them a taste of his own stress and fear. These passages show his ultimate intentions are good (Genesis 47:11–12), even if his exact thoughts are left unrecorded.

Verse 26. Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed.

After several days of confinement (Genesis 42:17), nine of Joseph’s ten brothers begin the return trip to Canaan (Genesis 42:1–5). They are loaded down with grain, just as they had hoped to be when they came. Simeon has been left behind under the apparent threat of death if they do not return with their youngest brother Benjamin. The men don’t realize the governor who harassed them is the very brother they sold into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28; 41:41–45). They know the two events are connect, somehow (Genesis 42:21–22).

The brothers also don’t know that Joseph has returned their money to their bags. The funds they thought were used to pay for their grain are still with them—something they will be horrified to discover soon (Genesis 42:27).

One painful detail certainly is on their minds. They are once again returning home without one of their brothers, just as they did on that day when they deceptively told their father Jacob that Joseph had died (Genesis 37:31–33). The entire trip home is likely filled with dread at the thought of how Jacob will respond, especially when he hears the ruler of Egypt has demanded they return with his beloved Benjamin.

Verse 27. And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.

Joseph, whose ten older brothers have not recognized him in his role as governor of Egypt (Genesis 42:7–8) has kept one of them as collateral (Genesis 42:18–19). The others are told to bring the youngest brother, Benjamin, back to prove their innocence and restore the family (Genesis 42:20). In addition, he secretly had the money his brothers used to buy grain from Egypt returned to their bags, along with the grain.

Now one the brothers discovers the money when accessing some grain for his donkey, perhaps on the first night of their return trip to Canaan. This discovery will not be good news—the money they thought had been given in payment is still with them. Not knowing about Joseph’s actions, they know this will make it seem they have stolen from the Egyptian governor. Their reaction is utter panic (Genesis 42:28).

Verse 28. He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Joseph’s ten older brothers are reacting to a terrible discovery. They went to Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 42:1–5). They were then strangely accused of being spies by the governor (Genesis 42:12). He only released them on condition they bring back their youngest brother, Benjamin (Genesis 42:18–20). The men don’t realize this governor is their lost brother, Joseph, whom they had sold as a slave some twenty years before (Genesis 37:28).

In another secret action, Joseph had the money the brothers paid for grain returned to their packs (Genesis 42:25–27). This might have been an act of kindness—except he did not tell them about it. It might have been another way to create accusations later. We don’t know the exact reasons, though these passages make it clear revenge is not Joseph’s ultimate motive (Genesis 47:11–12).

As one would expect, Joseph’s brothers take this discovery very badly. Understandably, their first response is confusion and panic. They know they did not do this on purpose, but also know how bad this would look. Most people would immediately conclude they’d stolen from the Egyptian governor. They could be put to death for this, or their brother Simeon, still in captivity (Genesis 42:24), could suffer consequences.

As they did earlier, they also express a measure of guilt (Genesis 42:21–22). Saying, “what has God done to us?” implies they interpreted this event as further punishment. Their pain is enhanced by knowing that they are, once again, returning to their father short one brother (Genesis 37:31–33), and need to ask to take their youngest back with them into Egypt.

Verse 29. When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,

This is a moment Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 42:1–5) would have been dreading. They are returning home to their father, Jacob, without one of his sons—again (Genesis 37:28, 31–33). The governor of Egypt has kept Simeon (Genesis 42:19) and sent the other nine back (Genesis 42:20) to return with their youngest brother Benjamin. This news will be doubly painful for their father. One son is in prison in Egypt and the ruler there is demanding the last remaining son of his beloved Rachel.

What the brothers do not know is that the Egyptian governor is the brother, Joseph, himself (Genesis 42:7–8). They’ve already concluded their suffering is punishment for what they did to their younger brother (Genesis 42:21–22). Now, giving bad news to their aging father, they are acutely reminded of the day they returned to Jacob without Joseph. Their father had mourned for Joseph with great desperation for a long time (Genesis 37:35).

Context Summary
Genesis 42:29–38 explains the results of Jacob’s sons first trip to Egypt to buy food during a famine. There, the governor allowed them to leave only after keeping leaving Simeon as security, and demanding they return with Benjamin, the youngest, to prove their honesty. They also discovered—to their horror—that the money they paid the governor for grain was still in their bags. They do not know the governor is their own brother, Joseph (Genesis 37:28). However, Jacob refuses to risk losing yet another son and forbids the men to take Benjamin to Egypt.

Verse 30. “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land.

Jacob’s sons begin to tell him about their troubling experience in Egypt. They had been sent there by Jacob together to buy grain in this season of famine (Genesis 42:1–5). Now they recount that the governor of the nation roughly accused them of being spies (Genesis 42:7–12). They don’t know, yet, that the Egyptian leader was their long-lost brother Joseph (Genesis 42:7–8).

Joseph was the one his ten older brothers jealously sold as a slave some twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28). In that incident, the men lied to their father by saying Joseph was dead (Genesis 37:31–33). Jacob’s reaction was catastrophic (Genesis 37:34–35). Now, they are forced to report the loss of another brother (Genesis 42:18–19, 24), and the potential loss of a third.

Verse 31. But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies.

Ten sons of Jacob were sent into Egypt to buy grain (Genesis 42:1–5). Only nine have come back (Genesis 42:29–30). The governor of the nation accused them of being spies and kept one brother as collateral, until they return with their youngest brother, to prove their innocence (Genesis 42:18–19, 24).

The defense they explain here is partly true. They are not spies. However, twenty years earlier, they jealously lied to their father after selling another brother, Joseph, into slavery (Genesis 37:28, 31–33). They’ve come to realize some of their predicament is divine punishment for their earlier crime (Genesis 42:21–22). That act caused their father intense sorrow (Genesis 37:34–35), and now they are forced to deliver another round of bad news.

Verse 32. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’

Jacob’s sons are telling him what happened when they attempted to buy grain in Egypt (Genesis 42:1–5). The lord of the land accused them of being spies (Genesis 42:6–12). They don’t realize that the man they bow before is the brother the sold into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28). When that man—Joseph—demands they leave one man behind and bring their youngest brother to prove their innocence (Genesis 42:18–19, 24), the men realize this is divine punishment for their earlier crime (Genesis 42:21–22).

Attempting to reassure Joseph, whom they only know as an Egyptian vizier, the brothers told him they were all sons of their father. They added the detail that they had two more brothers (Genesis 42:13), one they presumed dead, meaning Joseph, and another who remained with their father: Benjamin, the youngest. They would have known, now, that revealing Benjamin’s existence (Genesis 43:6) opened them up to what they must tell their father next (Genesis 42:33).

Verse 33. Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way.

During a famine, ten of Jacob’s sons were sent to buy food in Egypt (Genesis 42:1–5). The governor of the land accused them of being spies (Genesis 42:12). In attempting to convince him they were honest men, they told him about their youngest brother and father back in Canaan (Genesis 42:13). The men don’t realize that this governor is their lost brother, Joseph, whom they sold into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28, 31–33).

This is a difficult conversation for the men to have with their father. Their lie about Joseph many years ago was devastating to Jacob (Genesis 37:34–35). In this case, the governor of Egypt ordered them to leave one brother behind and return with the youngest, to prove their innocence (Genesis 42:19–20). They have come back with grain, but Simeon has not returned (Genesis 42:24). In the following verse, Jacob’s sons will tell him why Simeon is being held as collateral (Genesis 42:34).

Verse 34. Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”

Nine of the ten sons Jacob sent to buy grain in Egypt (Genesis 42:1–5) have returned (Genesis 42:29–33). Jacob’s sons are telling him what happened when they attempted to buy grain in Egypt. The lord of the land accused them of being spies. In attempting to convince him they were honest men, they told him about their youngest brother and father back in Canaan (Genesis 42:13). They don’t realize this governor is their own brother, Joseph, sold into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:28; 42:7–8).

This is the hardest part of the story for these men to explain to Jacob. The Egyptian ruler—secretly their brother, Joseph—kept Simeon, demanding they return with their youngest brother Benjamin to prove their story. If they come back with Benjamin, they will get Simeon back and be allowed to trade freely in Egypt.

Jacob’s sons knew he would not take this news well. Their lie about Joseph (Genesis 37:31–33) nearly killed Jacob with grief (Genesis 37:34–35). That may be why they left out key details about their three-day imprisonment (Genesis 42:17–18) and the Egyptian ruler’s threat to kill them (Genesis 42:20) if they didn’t prove themselves honest in this way.

Verse 35. As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man ‘s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

Jacob’s sons have just told him about their attempt to buy grain in Egypt (Genesis 42:1–5). The good news was that the Egyptian ruler had given them grain in the end. The bad news was that he also accused them of being spies, keeping Simeon on the demand they return with their youngest brother Benjamin to prove their story (Genesis 42:18–20). None of them yet realize this governor is their own brother, Joseph (Genesis 42:7–8), whom they’d sold as a slave twenty years ago (Genesis 37:28).

Now they open their sacks to show Jacob the grain, also exposing the money they took with them to buy the grain. It’s unclear if the brothers were surprised, or merely reminded of their own fear. They had discovered money in at least one of their sacks along the road back to Canaan (Genesis 42:27–28). It’s not likely they did not check the rest of the sacks. It’s possible they may have deceived Jacob once more by pretending to be surprised. However, there would be no reason for them to do. What’s certain is that they don’t know how Joseph ordered their money secretly returned to their sacks (Genesis 42:25).

Also certain is that they were all afraid, including Jacob. If the Egyptians believe they had not even paid for the grain they were given, they could be accused of stealing it and then imprisoned or killed. Their brother, Simeon, still in custody, could be punished for their crime. Going back with Benjamin, now, would be extremely risky. Jacob’s response summarizes the pain these sons have caused for him (Genesis 42:36).

Verse 36. And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.”

The nine sons who came back from Egypt (Genesis 42:1–5) would have expected their father, Jacob, to take their news badly (Genesis 42:29–35). One brother, Simeon, had been left behind and the youngest, Benjamin, has been demanded to be brought back to Egypt. In Egypt, the men recognized their prior guilt in selling their brother Joseph (Genesis 37:28) was a likely cause of their trouble (Genesis 42:21–22). They don’t realize the trouble is a rebuking test from that same brother, Joseph, who is now the governor of the entire nation of Egypt (Genesis 42:7–8).

And yet, they likely did not expect this reaction. Jacob lashes out at the nine of them, holding them responsible for the loss of both Simeon and Joseph (Genesis 37:31–33). Some scholars suggest seeing the money in the sacks made Jacob suspicious that Simeon had been sold, not lost. That suggests he was suspicious when Joseph—whom the brothers clearly hated (Genesis 37:4)—did not come back twenty years earlier. At the very least, he is angry with them for once again being assigned a task only to return missing one of his sons.

Whatever Jacob believes, he has decided that bereavement of two of his children is his other sons’ fault. And now his beloved son Benjamin is wanted in Egypt. He mourns the situation “has come against” him.

Verse 37. Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

Jacob has responded to news that one of his sons, Simeon, is held prisoner. His response is bitter, angrily accusing these nine for his loss of both Joseph (Genesis 37:28–33) and Simeon (Genesis 42:36). As we will see later, Jacob has no intention of risking Benjamin, even if that means abandoning Simeon to his fate (Genesis 42:38).

Reuben, the oldest son, responds with a grand gesture. He begs his father to trust him with Benjamin’s life. He offers to allow Jacob to kill his own two sons—a parallel with the two Jacob feels he has lost—if he fails to bring Benjamin back. This likely reflects his own guilt about lying to Jacob about Joseph’s death all those years earlier. His vow is not necessarily meant to be literal, but more likely an oath showing how serious he is.

And yet, this follows a pattern where Reuben tries to atone for sleeping with his father’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). It was Reuben who kept the others from killing Joseph outright (Genesis 37:22), planning to rescue him later. Reuben is the one who recognized the brothers’ collective guilt when Simeon was taken (Genesis 42:21–22). This, again, is a bold attempt to prove himself to the family.

Verse 38. But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

Despite Reuben’s melodramatic offer (Genesis 42:37), Jacob refuses to risk Benjamin. His response to his sons’ news (Genesis 42:29–35) is already bitter and angry (Genesis 42:36). Now, Jacob becomes almost vicious in his reaction. In essence, Jacob decides it is better to count Simeon as lost rather than risk losing his youngest son. Benjamin is the last child of his most beloved wife, Rachel (Genesis 35:16–19). Her other son, Joseph, is believed lost (Genesis 37:32–33).

Jacob showed such outrageous favoritism to Joseph that the older brothers became hatefully jealous (Genesis 37:3–4). This led them to sell Joseph into slavery, lying to Jacob about his fate (Genesis 37:28–31). Now, as one of his other sons is being held in Egypt, Jacob refers to Benjamin as “the only one left.” This must have been a crushing remark. At best, Jacob means Benjamin is the last of Rachel’s children left. And yet, prior history makes it almost certain he means much more than that. In grief and anger, Jacob openly declares his preference for Benjamin, and Joseph, beyond any of his other sons.

For their part, the brothers likely feel more guilt than self-pity. They know they are responsible for what is happening (Genesis 42:21–22). They expressed their conviction that what happened with the Egyptian ruler is God’s punishment for their action. In that sense, they are responsible for the loss of Simeon, as well.

Jacob concludes with a statement of grand despair. He felt nearly-fatal grief over the loss of Joseph (Genesis 37:34–35); he is convinced the loss of Benjamin would kill him. The drastic famine will force him to change his plans (Genesis 43:1–2).

End of Chapter 42.

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