Joseph Meets His Brothers

Good evening from a beautiful day in the Panhandle. 60º outside right now, hard to believe that they are calling for snow this Saturday.

Well twenty years of long and anxious waiting, have come to an end. The dreams of Joseph's boyhood had now been fulfilled. The famine had reached the Joseph's family, and they weren't sure what to do.

The famine forced Jacob to send his sons into Egypt to buy corn. They have an audience with Joseph who recognizes them, but they don’t recognize him. They got corn and return to their father but they have to leave Simeon as a hostage.

The scene of this chapter shifts back to Canaan and to Jacob. We see the plan of God in using Joseph, this time to preserve his family and their by his race during the famine. God also reunites the family in Egypt.

The appearance of the brothers of Joseph before him without recognizing him is one of the most dramatic scenes in all literature. Compared this chapter with the next, and you will see how tense the meeting of Joseph and his brothers, especially when his own brother Benjamin was with them. Literary critics in Boston, a number of years ago voted, by secret ballot, the story of Joseph to be the finest short story ever written.

Gen 42 At A Glance:

We have, in this chapter,

I. The humble application of Jacob's sons to Joseph to buy corn v. 1-6.

II. The fright Joseph put them into, for their trial v. 7-20.

III. The conviction they were now under of their sin concerning Joseph long before v. 21-24.

IV. Their return to Canaan with corn, and the great distress their good father was in upon hearing the account of their expedition v. 25, etc..

(From Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Genesis 42:1-9

42:1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" 2 He continued, "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 Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5 So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked.

"From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

1. JACOB SENDS HIS SONS TO EGYPT: vs. 1-8

The tropical rains which, annually falling, swell the Nile, are those of Palestine also; and their failure would produce the same disastrous effects in Canaan as in Egypt. Numerous caravans of its people, therefore, poured over the sandy desert of Suez, with their beasts of burden for the purchase of grain. - (From Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

When famine became severe in Canaan, and starvation seemed inevitable, Jacob knew that food must be procured elsewhere. He sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin he kept at home to be a comfort to him. When the ten brothers presented themselves before the governor of Egypt to buy grain, they did not recognize him as their brother. Many years had elapsed. The slender youth they had sold had grown into a man. He stood before them now as one of the mightiest figure in all the land of Egypt. His language, his dress, his official bearing, and his position made him unrecognizable to his brothers. But Joseph recognized his brothers at once.

It is evident from Jacob's language that his family had suffered greatly because of the famine; and through the increasing severity of the situation, they were sinking into despondency. This time God did not intercede miraculously when a natural means of preservation was within reach.

Genesis 42:7-8

7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked.

"From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

2. Joseph recognized his brothers at once: vs. 7-8

Joseph recognized his brothers at once; but they did not recognize a him. After all they had not seen him for many years. On top of that Joseph had become thoroughly Egyptianized, and had risen to be a great lord. And he acted as a foreigner towards them, speaking harshly, and asking them where they had come from.

When he accused his brothers of being spies, he was just calling their attention to the most obvious explanation for their coming. Egyptians realized that their eastern border was especially vulnerable, and so they feared the Asiatic peoples. Joseph accused the ten men of coming to Egypt to discover the weak places in the border defenses in order to give the information to would-be invaders. - (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)

It would be an injustice to Joseph's character to suppose that this stern manner was prompted by any vindictive feelings: he never indulged any resentment against others who had injured him. But he spoke in the authoritative tone of the governor, in order to elicit some much-longed-for intelligence respecting the state of his father's family, as well as to bring his brethren, by their own humiliation and distress, to a sense of the evils they had done to him.

- (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Genesis 42:9-17

9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

10 "No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies."

12 "No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

13 But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."

14 Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will 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 kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 And he put them all in custody for three days.

3. Joseph holds his brothers: vs. 9-17

Joseph had his brothers put into custody for three days. By the coming of the youngest brother, Joseph wanted to test their love for family. Did they treated Benjamin like they did Joseph? Joseph wanted to discover their feelings towards Benjamin, and see what affection they had for this son of Rachel, who had taken Joseph's place as his father's favorite.

And with his harsh mode of addressing them, Joseph had no intention whatsoever to administer to his brethren "a just punishment for their wickedness towards him," his heart would not have stooped to such mean revenge. He wanted to probe thoroughly the feelings of their hearts, "whether they felt that they deserved the punishment of God for the sin they had committed," and how they felt towards their aged father and their youngest brother.

(from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Gen 42:18-26

18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do.

21 They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us."

22 Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." 23 They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

24 He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.

25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

4. Joseph holds Simeon: vs. 18-26

One will remain in prison, now go and get your youngest brother, so that your words can be verified, and you may not suffer the death that spies deserve. Joseph stated that he would keep his word because he feared God. From the fear of God, he, the lord of Egypt, would not punish or slay these strangers upon mere suspicion, but he would judge them justly.

How different from the way they had acted towards Joseph. Second only to Pharaoh as ruler of all Egypt and he had compassion on their families who were in Canaan suffering from hunger. They had intended to leave their Joseph in the pit to starve! But now Joseph would save them from starving.

Why Simeon? Maybe he had probably been the chief instigator of the outrage on Joseph; and if so, his selection to be the imprisoned and fettered hostage for their return would, in the present course of their reflections, have a painful significance.

Genesis 42:25-28

25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28 "My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack."

Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?

5. Joseph put their money back: vs. 25-28

There are two sorts of sacks each with different names in the history of Joseph. One for grain, and the other for the baggage and everything in general which a person carries with him for his own use. There are no wagons used almost in all Asia, as far as to India: everything was carried upon beasts of burden in sacks of wool, covered in the middle with leather down to the bottom, this to make them resistance to water, etc. Sacks of this sort are now called Tambellit. They held in them their things done up in large parcels. This is the kind of sacks probably spoke of here, and not the sacks in which they carried their grain. This private generosity would not have been an infringement of Joseph's duty-a defrauding of the revenue if you will. He would have had a discretionary power, after all he was daily enriching the king's treasury. It is also that he might have paid the sum from his own purse.

Genesis 42:29-38

29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 "The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, `We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.'

33 "Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, `This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother 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 were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!"

37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back."

38 But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."

6. Jacob is told what happened: vs. 29-38

Jacob’s exclamation indicates a painfully excited state of feeling, and it shows how difficult it is for even a good man to yield implicit submission to the course of Providence. The language does not imply that his missing sons had been the victims of foul play from the hands of the rest, but he looks upon Simeon as lost, as well as Joseph; and he insinuates it was by some imprudent statements of theirs that he was exposed to the risk of losing Benjamin also.

(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Reuben then offered his two sons to Jacob as pledges for Benjamin, if Jacob would entrust him to his care: Jacob might slay them, if he did not bring Benjamin back-the greatest and dearest offer that a son could make to a father.

(from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)