1Jacob sendeth ten of his sons to buy corn in Egypt. 6They are imprisoned by Joseph for spies, but set at liberty on condition to bring Benjamin. 21Their remorse for Joseph, who commandeth his tenderness, and detaineth Simeon for a pledge. 25They return with corn and their money. 29Their relation to Jacob. 35He is afraid, and refuseth to send Benjamin.
1NOW when Jacob 1saw that there was 2corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why 3do ye look one upon another?
1 That is, heard and understood by common report, and observed by what was brought from there.
2 Or, provisions. The Hebrew word comes from a root signifying to break, because provision and victual, but especially bread, breaks the force of hunger and famine.
3 As men destitute of help and advice, who sit musing and plodding, wasting much time, and come to no certain resolution, nor set about the work before them.
2And he said, Behold, Ia have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
a Acts 7:12.
3¶And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for 4he said, Lest peradventure 5mischief befall him.
4 Namely, by himself, that is, he thought thus. See Gen. 20 on verse 11.
5 Or, a fatal accident; such as befell his brother Joseph before, whom Jacob still supposes to be dead.
5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn 6among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Hebr. in the midst of the coming, that is, together with, or, in company along with others who were coming from the land of Canaan to buy provision. The reason is presently given in the following words.
6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, andb7bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
b Gen. 37:7.
7 To show him civil honor and respect. See Gen. 18 on verse 2, and compare herewith the prophecy of Joseph’s dreams, Gen. 37:7, 8.
7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but 8made himself strange unto them, and spake 9roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 Thereby the better to discover their state and condition, especially that of his father and brother.
9 See verses 9, 11, 12. This he did, partly to understand the truth the better, how it fared with his father, and his brother Benjamin; partly to rouse them up to an acknowledgment of the sin they had committed against him.
8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9And Joseph remembered thec dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the 10nakedness of the land ye are come.
c Gen. 37:5.
10 Hebr. the nakedness of the land, that is, to see where the country is most open and naked, or is least provided and fenced for an enemy to invade the same, or to surprise some places, or to over-run the land to spoil and plunder it.
10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13And they said, 11Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, thed12youngest is this day with our father, and 13one is not.
11 Here Joseph now begins to understand, what he aimed at by all this strict examination.
d Gen. 43:29.
12 Hebr. the little one, that is, the youngest, namely, Benjamin. Compare the annotation at Gen. 19 on verse 31.
13 Namely, Joseph, whom they held to be dead, as appears verse 22, and Gen. 44:20.
14And Joseph said unto them, That is it 14that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
14 Since they had made mention of two other brothers, whereof the one would be alive yet, he is the more eager to press his former charge upon them, seeking by that means to get his brother to him.
1515Hereby ye shall be proved: 16By the life of Pharaoh 17ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
15 That is, by this I shall see whether you speak the truth, and deal uprightly with me or whether you are spies.
16 Hebr. Pharaoh’s life, or, Pharaoh liveth. This is an incomplete speech, which may be supplied thus: As sure as it is that Pharaoh liveth, so certain is that which I tell you. Compare 1 Sam. 1:26. Others take these words to be an oath, made after the manner of the Egyptians, by Pharaoh’s life; so that Joseph, out of human frailty, (as may happen to good men) would have followed them therein.
17 This now seems to be an oath made after the manner of the Hebrews, whereupon must be understood then, God do this or that unto me, if ye, etc. See Gen. 14 on verse 23, and compare 1 Sam. 17:55; 2 Kings 2:2; Ezek. 33:11.
16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in 18prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: 19or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
18 Hebr. bound, that is, as for you, you shall remain my prisoners the while in this place.
19 See the annotation on the previous verse.
17And he 20put them all together into ward three days.
20 Hebr. gathered them.
18And Joseph said unto them the third day, 21This do, and live; for I fear God:
21 That is, do what I shall tell you; then shall ye take care for your lives and welfare, that ye may not be taken for spies, and suffer accordingly.
19If ye be true men, let 22one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry 23corn for the famine of your houses:
22 Hebr. a brother of you.
23 Hebr. the corn of the famine of your houses, that is, that which is needful for the famine of your families.
20But bringe your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
e Gen. 43:5; 44:23.
21¶And they said one to another, We are 24verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, 25when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
24 Other, however, howbeit. As if they said: Though we seek to hide it, yet we feel that God now comes to call us to an account for it.
25 This passage is indeed not rehearsed by Moses, Genesis 37, but here they confess it themselves that it was thus.
22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spakef I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also 26his blood is required.
f Gen. 37:21, 22.
26 That is, the guilt and punishment of his death. See 1 Kings 2:32, 33, etc. Thus, to seek, or, to require blood, is to punish and avenge it. See 2 Chron. 24:22; Ezek. 3:18; Luke 11:50. It seems they all thought that Joseph was dead, yet they had made Reuben believe it all that time, when he was not present when Joseph was sold. See Gen. 37:29.
23And they knew not that Joseph 27understood them; 28for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
27 That is, understood what they said; see Gen. 11 on verse 7.
28 Joseph pretended as if he did not understand the Hebrew tongue, for to be less suspected or discovered by his brethren.
24And he 29turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and 30took from them Simeon, and 31bound him before their eyes.
29 Partly out of natural affection, being of the same blood and birth with them, and partly for the discourse and debates’ sake which his brethren had had together concerning him.
30 Simeon was the second oldest among the sons of Jacob, whom some perceive to have been the rudest against Joseph, as he had been the principal in the murder of Shechem. Reuben, the eldest, is spared, for having been less guilty in the ill-treatment against Joseph, and being the most capable man to conduct his brethren home again.
31 Namely, by his servants and guards, whom he charged this.
25¶Then Joseph commanded to fill 32their sacks with corn, and to restore 33every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus 34did he unto them.
32 The Hebrew word signifies all manner of vessels, sacks, implements, tools, wherein something is put, or packed with.
33 Hebr. their silverlings, or, monies.
34 Or, thus he did to them.
26And they ladedg their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
g loaded*
27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.
28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart 35failed them, and they 36were afraid, saying 37one to another, 38What is this that God hath done unto us?
35 Hebr. their heart went out, that is, the vigor of their heart forsook it, as it happens when one faints or swoons. Compare 1 Kings 10:5, and the annotation.
36 See Gen. 27 on verse 33.
37 Hebr. the man to his brother.
38 Or, How hath God done this to us? They judged both by this accident and all the forgoing, that God was displeased with them.
29¶And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him 39all that befell unto them; saying,
39 All, besides what they concealed, not to frighten their father too much.
30The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and 40took us for spies of the country.
40 Hebr. he has given us, delivered, or supposed.
31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and 41take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
41 Hebr. take the famine of your houses. See verse 19.
34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall 42traffickh in the land.
42 See Gen. 34:10.
h trade*
35¶And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks,i that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, 43they were afraid.
i verse 25; Gen. 44:1.
43 Being anxious that they would be charged with theft. Compare Gen. 43:18.
36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and 44Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
44 He counts him likewise already lost, fearing he would not easily get free again out of his prison, and might perhaps be in danger of his life there.
37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, 45Slay my 46two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
45 This proposition was altogether unlawful and unnatural; therefore Jacob does not accept this.
46 Two of the four, who are mentioned in Gen. 46:9.
38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for 47his brother is dead, and he is 48left alone: if 49mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down 50my gray hairs with sorrow 51to the grave.
47 As he supposed. See Gen. 37 on verses 33, and 35.
48 Namely, of the children of Rachel.
49 See verse 4.
50 Hebr. my paleness, grayness.
51 See Gen. 37 on verse 35.