Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt: Genesis 42.1-25
When last we left our hero, there was a severe famine in the land, but Joseph, appointed overseer of the land and guided by an interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, wisely stockpiled grain before the famine. Now Egypt is a food bank for the area.
Jacob learns that there is grain in Egypt, and sends ten of his sons down to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin stays behind. As Rachel’s only “remaining” son, he serves as a surrogate for Joseph, and Jacob wants to keep him from harm.
Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt and bow before Joseph, fulfilling the dream Joseph had of their sheaves of grain bowing down before his (see Gen. 37). The brothers do not recognize Joseph, and who would expect him to be in that position anyway? But Joseph recognizes them, and deals with them harshly, perhaps seeking retribution for the transaction that occurred years ago.
Here is the conversation, featuring only the quotations, with the narration removed. This portion relies so much on dialogue that it is perfectly comprehensible without narration.
Joseph: “Where do you come from?”
Brothers: “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
Joseph: “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
Brothers: “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants have never been spies.”
Joseph: “No, you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
Brothers: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.”
Joseph: “It is just as I have said to you; you are spies! Here is how you shall be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.”
The brothers are imprisoned for three days.
Check this out:
The brothers’ answers go from vague to specific. First they state their homeland and purpose. Next they state their subservience and purpose and family. Finally they state their subservience and state the specifics of their family. Joseph gets them to open up more and more. Each answer from the brothers intensifies the understanding of the previous one. Joseph, on the other hand, splits his initial accusation as a way to answer his brothers. First he accuses them of being spies who have come to see the nakedness of the land. Next, he accuses his brothers only of coming to see the nakedness of the land. Finally, he accuses them of being only spies. The brothers follow a logical pattern from broad to specific, whereas Joseph starts broad, and applies each part of his accusation separately in response to his brothers.
On the third day, Joseph has a change of heart, “for I fear God” (Gen. 42.18) (Not On or any other Egyptian god, but God himself). Nine of the brothers are allowed to return home with grain, but one is to remain imprisoned until the nine brothers return with Benjamin. The other brothers realize, “Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish is upon us” (Gen. 42.21). Reuben, of course, points out that he told his brothers not to sell Joseph.
Joseph’s retribution is indeed appropriate, forcing his brothers to leave behind one of themselves, just as they left him.
That irony is compounded by another irony; it is not until verse 23 that the text mentions Joseph is speaking through an interpreter. This whole time Joseph has been able to understand his brothers in his native tongue, but has not been able to speak with them. Joseph is so overcome he turns away and weeps, but when he returns he binds Simeon and puts him in prison.
Joseph has his brothers’ sacks filled with grain, and sneaks their money back into their bags.
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan: Genesis 42.26-38
One of the brothers opens his sack to feed his donkey, and finds his money inside. Uh-oh. Now maybe the man who dealt so harshly with them will accuse them of stealing as well. “What is this that God has done to us?” they wonder (Gen. 42.28).
The brothers get back and tell Jacob of everything that has happened. As they empty their sacks, each discovers the money that Joseph slipped back into the sacks. Wait, hasn’t this already happened? Yes. That’s the E-source reiterating the early J-source story.
Jacob does not take the news so well: “I am the one you have bereaved of children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has happened to me!” (Gen. 42.36). Reuben offers that Jacob may kill Reuben’s two sons if he does not bring Simeon back. Essentially he is guaranteeing the return of Jacob’s son with two of Jacob’s grandsons. Think about that for a minute.
In any case, the pitiable Jacob refuses to let Benjamin return, as he is the last remaining son of Rachel. “If harm should come to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol” (Gen. 42.38). This is the second time he has made such a remark regarding mourning a son of Rachel.
Tomorrow: Back to Egypt.
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