Genesis 42
Introduction
Genesis 42 brings the narrative full circle: the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery now stand before him, bowing with their faces to the ground — unknowingly fulfilling the very dream they had sought to destroy (Genesis 37:7-8). Driven by famine to Egypt to buy grain, ten of Jacob's sons encounter the powerful Egyptian governor, not recognizing their brother. Joseph, however, recognizes them immediately and begins an elaborate test that will unfold over the next three chapters, designed not to exact revenge but to determine whether his brothers have changed.
The chapter is structured around two dramatic scenes: the brothers before Joseph in Egypt and their return to Jacob in Canaan. Joseph accuses them of being spies, imprisons them for three days, and then demands they bring their youngest brother Benjamin as proof of their honesty — keeping Simeon as hostage. The brothers' guilty conscience surfaces immediately: "Surely we are being punished because of our brother" (v. 21). Meanwhile, Joseph secretly returns their money to their sacks, deepening their terror. When they arrive home, Jacob's anguished response — "You have bereaved me of my children!" — reveals the old wound that has never healed. The chapter ends with Jacob's flat refusal to let Benjamin go, leaving the family trapped between famine and fear.
The Brothers' Journey to Egypt (vv. 1-5)
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?" 2 "Look," he added, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." 3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm might befall him." 5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" 2 And he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us from there, so that we may live and not die." 3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he said, "Lest some harm befall him." 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Notes
שֶׁבֶר ("grain, rations") — This word, from a root meaning "to break," refers to broken or processed grain sold as food. It appears repeatedly in the Joseph narrative for the grain purchased from Egypt. The related verb שָׁבַר ("to buy grain") is used in v. 3. The wordplay is unique to this context.
לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ ("why do you look at one another?") — Jacob's sharp question uses the Hitpael of רָאָה ("to see"), suggesting the brothers were staring at each other in paralysis. The old patriarch remains the initiator — pushing his passive sons to action.
אָסוֹן ("harm, disaster") — This rare word appears only in the Joseph narrative (Genesis 42:4, Genesis 42:38, Genesis 44:29) and in Exodus 21:22-23. Jacob's fear of אָסוֹן befalling Benjamin reveals the trauma of losing Joseph — he cannot risk losing Rachel's only surviving son. The narrator pointedly identifies Benjamin as אֲחִי יוֹסֵף ("Joseph's brother") — not merely Jacob's son, but the brother of the lost one.
The Brothers Before Joseph (vv. 6-17)
6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 And 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." 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, "You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable." 10 "Not so, my lord," they replied. "Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." 12 "No," he told them. "You have come to see if our land is vulnerable." 13 But they answered, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more." 14 Then Joseph declared, "Just as I said, you are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send 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!" 17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
6 Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. He said to them, "Where have you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." 8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, "You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land." 10 They said to him, "No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies." 12 He said to them, "No — it is the nakedness of the land you have come to see." 13 They said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is today with our father, and one is no more." 14 Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you — you are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you to fetch your brother, while the rest of you are held prisoner, so that your words may be tested whether there is truth in you. Otherwise, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.
Notes
וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה ("they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground") — The narrator wants us to see this: Joseph's dream of his brothers' sheaves bowing to his sheaf (Genesis 37:7) is being fulfilled before our eyes. The verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה ("to bow down, prostrate") is the same verb used in the dream narrative.
וַיִּתְנַכֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם ("he treated them as strangers") and וַיַּכִּרֵם ("he recognized them") — A brilliant wordplay: both verbs come from the root נָכַר. The Hiphil means "to recognize," while the Hitpael means "to make oneself unrecognizable, act like a stranger." Joseph simultaneously recognizes and disguises himself — using the same root in opposite directions.
עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ ("the nakedness of the land") — A military metaphor meaning the land's vulnerable points, its undefended places. Joseph's accusation is plausible in context — Egypt's border regions were indeed susceptible to infiltration, and Canaan lay along a key route.
וְהָאֶחָד אֵינֶנּוּ ("and one is no more") — The brothers' words are devastatingly ironic. They speak of Joseph in his very presence. The phrase אֵינֶנּוּ ("he is not") is ambiguous — it could mean "dead" or simply "gone." The brothers themselves do not know Joseph's fate with certainty.
Joseph's Terms and the Brothers' Guilt (vv. 18-24)
18 and on the third day he said to them, "I fear God. So do this and you will live: 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. 20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die." And to this they consented. 21 Then they said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us." 22 And Reuben responded, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!" 23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain bound in the prison, and the rest of you go and carry grain for the famine of your households. 20 But bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us." 22 Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'? But you would not listen. Now his blood is being required." 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them, and he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Notes
אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים אֲנִי יָרֵא ("I fear God") — Joseph's declaration is significant on multiple levels. On the surface, it reassures foreign prisoners that this Egyptian official has moral scruples. But for the reader, it confirms that Joseph remains a God-fearer despite his Egyptian exterior. The phrase also echoes the midwives in Exodus 1:17 who feared God and refused to obey Pharaoh's evil commands.
אֲבָל אֲשֵׁמִים אֲנַחְנוּ עַל אָחִינוּ ("Truly we are guilty concerning our brother") — This spontaneous confession — spoken in Hebrew, unaware that the Egyptian lord understands — is the first sign of genuine repentance. The word אֲשֵׁמִים ("guilty") is a legal term. The brothers recall a detail not mentioned in Genesis 37: Joseph's צָרַת נַפְשׁוֹ ("the distress of his soul") when he pleaded with them. This adds a heartbreaking dimension to the original betrayal — Joseph begged for mercy, and they refused.
הַמֵּלִיץ בֵּינֹתָם ("there was an interpreter between them") — The word מֵלִיץ refers to an intermediary or translator. Joseph's use of an interpreter maintained his disguise. The dramatic irony is acute: the brothers speak freely, confessing their guilt, not knowing that the very person they wronged is listening to every word.
Joseph's weeping (וַיֵּבְךְּ) is the first of seven times he weeps in the narrative. His tears reveal that his harsh exterior masks deep emotion — he is not acting out of vengeance but out of a complex mix of longing, grief, and the need to test whether his brothers have truly changed.
The Return to Canaan (vv. 25-38)
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man's silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out, 26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed. 27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack. 28 "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?" 29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: 30 "The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, 'We are honest men, not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.' 33 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 your households, and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'" 35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!" 37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him." 38 But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow."
25 Joseph gave orders to fill their vessels with grain, to return each man's silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them. 26 They loaded their grain on their donkeys and departed. 27 When one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his silver — there it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, "My silver has been returned! Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" 29 When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 "The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and took us for spies of the land. 31 We said to him, 'We are honest men; we have never been spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.' 33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine of your households, and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will return your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'" 35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man's bundle of silver was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of silver, they were afraid. 36 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." 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 return him to you." 38 But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
Notes
וַיֵּצֵא לִבָּם ("their hearts went out / sank") — Literally, "their heart went out." This vivid idiom describes the sensation of shock and dread — the blood draining from one's face.
מַה זֹּאת עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לָנוּ ("What is this that God has done to us?") — The brothers instinctively attribute the returned silver to God's action — they see divine judgment at work. Their growing awareness of divine retribution connects to their earlier confession of guilt (v. 21). They cannot escape the sense that God is settling accounts.
אֹתִי שִׁכַּלְתֶּם ("you have bereaved me!") — Jacob's anguished cry uses the Pi'el of שָׁכַל, meaning to make childless, to bereave of children. His accusation is more direct than he knows — his sons did indeed deprive him of Joseph. The phrase עָלַי הָיוּ כֻלָּנָה ("all this has come against me") expresses utter desolation. Jacob sees himself as the victim of an unbearable accumulation of loss.
Reuben's offer — "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back" — is dramatic but ineffective. Jacob does not respond to it. Killing Reuben's sons would only add more grief. It will be Judah's pledge in Genesis 43:9 — offering himself, not his sons — that finally persuades Jacob.
שְׁאוֹלָה ("to Sheol") — Jacob anticipates dying of grief and descending to שְׁאוֹל, the realm of the dead. The word appears here with the directional suffix -ah, emphasizing the downward journey. Jacob sees his remaining years as a path toward death in sorrow — unless Benjamin is preserved.