Genesis 42: A Famine, a Reunion, and a Test of Repentance
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
And he said, Behold, I 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.
And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
And 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, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
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.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
And he put them all together into ward three days.
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
And 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.
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?
And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
And 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 take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
And 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 traffick in the land.
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Genesis 42 presents a pivotal moment in the Joseph narrative. Twenty years after being sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:28), Joseph, now a powerful governor in Egypt (Genesis 41:44), encounters them again during a severe famine. This chapter marks the beginning of a series of events where Joseph tests his brothers, ultimately leading to their repentance and the preservation of their family.
Facing the Famine (Genesis 42:1-5)
The famine, just as Joseph had foreseen (Genesis 41:53-56), extended beyond Egypt, reaching the land of Canaan where Jacob and his family resided (Genesis 42:5). Hearing that grain was available in Egypt, Jacob instructed his ten oldest sons to travel there to purchase food (Genesis 42:2), hoping to prevent starvation. However, Jacob, still grieving the loss of Joseph and deeply protective, refused to send Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother, fearing he might suffer harm (Genesis 42:4). He didn't trust the brothers to protect him, having already lost Joseph under suspicious circumstances. This highlights Jacob's deep-seated favoritism and unresolved grief.
An Unrecognized Reunion (Genesis 42:6-17)
Upon arriving in Egypt, Joseph's brothers bowed down before him (Genesis 42:6), unknowingly fulfilling the dreams Joseph had years before (Genesis 37:5-10). Joseph immediately recognized them (Genesis 42:8), but they did not recognize him. After twenty years, Joseph had fully assimilated into Egyptian culture and appearance, making him unrecognizable to his brothers.
Joseph, now holding a position of authority, tested his brothers. He accused them multiple times of being spies (Genesis 42:9, 12, 14, 16), sent to assess Egypt's weaknesses. This accusation, carrying the threat of imprisonment or death, placed the brothers in a precarious situation. Joseph's motives were complex: perhaps a mix of wanting to test their character, orchestrate contact with Benjamin, and drive them to repentance. In an ironic twist, Joseph detained them in prison, mirroring their act of throwing him into a cistern (Genesis 42:16-17).
A Change of Plans and Stirrings of Conscience (Genesis 42:18-24)
After three days in prison, Joseph presented his brothers with a new plan. To prove their honesty, he would hold one of them hostage while the others returned to Canaan to bring back their youngest brother, Benjamin (Genesis 42:19-20, 24). If they failed to return with Benjamin, he would conclude they were indeed spies.
This experience triggered a profound realization of guilt among the brothers. They spoke openly about their past transgression against Joseph, acknowledging that their current suffering was a consequence of their cruelty towards him. "Trouble has come to us," they said to one another. "We saw [Joseph’s] deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen" (Genesis 42:21). They understood they were now reaping what they had sown, experiencing a similar lack of compassion as they had shown Joseph. Joseph, overhearing their remorseful conversation (Genesis 42:23-24), was deeply moved, highlighting his enduring compassion despite the years of separation and hardship.
A Secret Gift and Mounting Fear (Genesis 42:25-28)
Joseph sent his brothers back to Canaan with the requested grain but also secretly ordered their money to be returned to their sacks, along with provisions for their journey (Genesis 42:25). This act, perhaps motivated by a combination of charity and a desire to further test their integrity, created further anxiety among the brothers. Discovering the money, they feared being accused of theft and viewed as spies (Genesis 42:28).
Jacob's Grief and Resistance (Genesis 42:29-38)
Returning home, the brothers recounted their experiences to Jacob, including the demand to bring Benjamin back to Egypt (Genesis 42:29). Jacob, already burdened by the perceived loss of Joseph and now Simeon, vehemently refused to allow Benjamin to go (Genesis 42:33-36). He exclaimed, "Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone" (Genesis 42:36). Overwhelmed by grief and fear of losing another son, Jacob remained stubborn, even when Reuben offered his own sons as collateral (Genesis 42:37). Jacob declared, "My son will not go down with you, lest you . . . bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow" (Genesis 42:38).
Genesis 42 reveals the initial stages of God's providential work in bringing about reconciliation and restoration within Jacob's family. While the brothers begin to confront their past sins, Jacob's grief and favoritism present a significant obstacle. The chapter ends with the family facing a difficult dilemma, setting the stage for further trials and the eventual revelation of Joseph's identity. God was working through Joseph to bring the brothers to a place where he could use them, driving them to a place of repentance, which would ultimately lead to restoration.
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
And he said, Behold, I 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.
And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
And 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, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
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.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
And he put them all together into ward three days.
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
And 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.
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?
And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
And 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 take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
And 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 traffick in the land.
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Genesis 42 presents a pivotal moment in the Joseph narrative. Twenty years after being sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:28), Joseph, now a powerful governor in Egypt (Genesis 41:44), encounters them again during a severe famine. This chapter marks the beginning of a series of events where Joseph tests his brothers, ultimately leading to their repentance and the preservation of their family.
Facing the Famine (Genesis 42:1-5)
The famine, just as Joseph had foreseen (Genesis 41:53-56), extended beyond Egypt, reaching the land of Canaan where Jacob and his family resided (Genesis 42:5). Hearing that grain was available in Egypt, Jacob instructed his ten oldest sons to travel there to purchase food (Genesis 42:2), hoping to prevent starvation. However, Jacob, still grieving the loss of Joseph and deeply protective, refused to send Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother, fearing he might suffer harm (Genesis 42:4). He didn't trust the brothers to protect him, having already lost Joseph under suspicious circumstances. This highlights Jacob's deep-seated favoritism and unresolved grief.
An Unrecognized Reunion (Genesis 42:6-17)
Upon arriving in Egypt, Joseph's brothers bowed down before him (Genesis 42:6), unknowingly fulfilling the dreams Joseph had years before (Genesis 37:5-10). Joseph immediately recognized them (Genesis 42:8), but they did not recognize him. After twenty years, Joseph had fully assimilated into Egyptian culture and appearance, making him unrecognizable to his brothers.
Joseph, now holding a position of authority, tested his brothers. He accused them multiple times of being spies (Genesis 42:9, 12, 14, 16), sent to assess Egypt's weaknesses. This accusation, carrying the threat of imprisonment or death, placed the brothers in a precarious situation. Joseph's motives were complex: perhaps a mix of wanting to test their character, orchestrate contact with Benjamin, and drive them to repentance. In an ironic twist, Joseph detained them in prison, mirroring their act of throwing him into a cistern (Genesis 42:16-17).
A Change of Plans and Stirrings of Conscience (Genesis 42:18-24)
After three days in prison, Joseph presented his brothers with a new plan. To prove their honesty, he would hold one of them hostage while the others returned to Canaan to bring back their youngest brother, Benjamin (Genesis 42:19-20, 24). If they failed to return with Benjamin, he would conclude they were indeed spies.
This experience triggered a profound realization of guilt among the brothers. They spoke openly about their past transgression against Joseph, acknowledging that their current suffering was a consequence of their cruelty towards him. "Trouble has come to us," they said to one another. "We saw [Joseph’s] deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen" (Genesis 42:21). They understood they were now reaping what they had sown, experiencing a similar lack of compassion as they had shown Joseph. Joseph, overhearing their remorseful conversation (Genesis 42:23-24), was deeply moved, highlighting his enduring compassion despite the years of separation and hardship.
A Secret Gift and Mounting Fear (Genesis 42:25-28)
Joseph sent his brothers back to Canaan with the requested grain but also secretly ordered their money to be returned to their sacks, along with provisions for their journey (Genesis 42:25). This act, perhaps motivated by a combination of charity and a desire to further test their integrity, created further anxiety among the brothers. Discovering the money, they feared being accused of theft and viewed as spies (Genesis 42:28).
Jacob's Grief and Resistance (Genesis 42:29-38)
Returning home, the brothers recounted their experiences to Jacob, including the demand to bring Benjamin back to Egypt (Genesis 42:29). Jacob, already burdened by the perceived loss of Joseph and now Simeon, vehemently refused to allow Benjamin to go (Genesis 42:33-36). He exclaimed, "Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone" (Genesis 42:36). Overwhelmed by grief and fear of losing another son, Jacob remained stubborn, even when Reuben offered his own sons as collateral (Genesis 42:37). Jacob declared, "My son will not go down with you, lest you . . . bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow" (Genesis 42:38).
Genesis 42 reveals the initial stages of God's providential work in bringing about reconciliation and restoration within Jacob's family. While the brothers begin to confront their past sins, Jacob's grief and favoritism present a significant obstacle. The chapter ends with the family facing a difficult dilemma, setting the stage for further trials and the eventual revelation of Joseph's identity. God was working through Joseph to bring the brothers to a place where he could use them, driving them to a place of repentance, which would ultimately lead to restoration.