1Now Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, said to his sons, Why are you looking at one another? 2And he said, I have had news that there is grain in Egypt: go down there and get grain for us, so that life and not death may be ours. 3So Joseph's ten brothers went down to get grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them, for fear, as he said, that some evil might come to him. 5And the sons of Israel came with all the others to get grain: for they were very short of food in the land of Canaan. 6Now Joseph was ruler over all the land, and it was he who gave out the grain to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brothers came before him and went down on their faces to the earth. 7And when Joseph saw his brothers, it was clear to him who they were, but he made himself strange to them, and talking roughly to them, said, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to get food. 8Now though Joseph saw that these were his brothers, they had no idea who he was. 9Then the memory of his dreams about them came back to Joseph, and he said to them, You have come secretly to see how poor the land is. 10And they said to him, Not so, my lord: your servants have come with money to get food. 11We are all one man's sons, we are true men; we have not come with any secret purpose. 12And he said to them, No, but you have come to see how poor the land is. 13Then they said, We your servants are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan; the youngest of us is now with our father, and one is dead. 14And Joseph said, It is as I said; you have come with some secret purpose; 15But in this way will you be put to the test: by the life of Pharaoh, you will not go away from this place till your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of your number to get your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are true; if not, by the life of Pharaoh, your purpose is certainly secret. 17So he put them in prison for three days. 18And on the third day Joseph said to them, Do this, if you would keep your lives: for I am a god-fearing man: 19If you are true men, let one of you be kept in prison, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families; 20And come back to me with your youngest brother, so that your words may be seen to be true, and you will not be put to death. This is what you are to do. 21And they said to one another, Truly, we did wrong to our brother, for we saw his grief of mind, and we did not give ear to his prayers; that is why this trouble has come on us. 22And Reuben said to them, Did I not say to you, Do the child no wrong? but you gave no attention; so now, punishment has come on us for his blood. 23They were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language. 24And turning away from them, he was overcome with weeping; then he went on talking to them again and took Simeon and put chains on him before their eyes. 25Then Joseph gave orders for their bags to be made full of grain, and for every man's money to be put back into his bag, and for food to be given them for the journey: which was done. 26Then they put the bags of grain on their asses and went away. 27Now at their night's resting-place one of them, opening his bag to give his ass some food, saw his money in the mouth of the bag. 28And he said to his brothers, My money has been given back: it is in my bag; then their hearts became full of fear, and turning to one another they said, What is this which God has done to us? 29So when they came to Jacob their father, in the land of Canaan, they gave him an account of all their experiences, saying, 30The man who is the ruler of the country was rough with us and put us in prison, saying that we had come with a secret evil purpose. 31And we said to him, We are true men, we have no evil designs; 32We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is dead, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan. 33And the ruler of the land said, In this way I may be certain that you are true men; let one of you be kept here with me, while you go and take grain for the needs of your families; 34And come back to me with your youngest brother: then I will be certain that you are true men, and I will give your brother back to you and let you do trade in the land. 35And when they took the grain out of their bags, it was seen that every man's parcel of money was in his bag; and when they and their father saw the money, they were full of fear. 36And Jacob their father said to them, You have taken my children from me: Joseph is gone and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin away; all these things have come on me. 37And Reuben said, Put my two sons to death if I do not come back to you with him; let him be in my care and I will give him safely back to you. 38And he said, I will not let my son go down with you; for his brother is dead and he is all I have: if evil overtakes him on the journey, then through you will my grey head go down to the underworld in sorrow.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Jacob sends ten sons to buy corn. (1-6) Joseph's treatment of his brethren. (7-20) Their remorse, Simeon detained. (21-24) The rest return with corn. (25-28) Jacob refuses to send Benjamin to Egypt. (29-38) 1-6 Jacob saw the corn his neighbours had bought in Egypt, and brought home. It is a spur to exertion to see others supplied. Shall others get food for their souls, and shall we starve while it is to be had? Having discovered where help is to be had, we should apply for it without delay, without shrinking from labour, or grudging expense, especially as regards our never-dying souls. There is provision in Christ; but we must come to him, and seek it from him. 7-20 Joseph was hard upon his brethren, not from a spirit of revenge, but to bring them to repentance. Not seeing his brother Benjamin, he suspected that they had made away with him, and he gave them occasion to speak of their father and brother. God, in his providence, sometimes seems harsh with those he loves, and speaks roughly to those for whom yet he has great mercy in store. Joseph settled at last, that one of them should be left, and the rest go home and fetch Benjamin. It was a very encouraging word he said to them, "I fear God;" as if he had said, You may be assured I will do you no wrong; I dare not, for I know there is one higher than I. With those that fear God, we may expect fair dealing. 21-24 The office of conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. When the guilt of this sin of Joseph's brethren was fresh, they made light of it, and sat down to eat bread; but now, long afterward, their consciences accused them of it. See the good of afflictions; they often prove the happy means of awakening conscience, and bringing sin to our remembrance. Also, the evil of guilt as to our brethren. Conscience now reproached them for it. Whenever we think we have wrong done us, we ought to remember the wrong we have done to others. Reuben alone remembered with comfort, that he had done what he could to prevent the mischief. When we share with others in their sufferings, it will be a comfort if we have the testimony of our consciences for us, that we did not share in their evil deeds, but in our places witnessed against them. Joseph retired to weep. Though his reason directed that he should still carry himself as a stranger, because they were not as yet humbled enough, yet natural affection could not but work. 25-28 The brethren came for corn, and corn they had: not only so, but every man had his money given back. Thus Christ, like Joseph, gives out supplies without money and without price. The poorest are invited to buy. But guilty consciences are apt to take good providences in a bad sense; to put wrong meanings even upon things that make for them. 29-38 Here is the report Jacob's sons made to their father. It troubled the good man. Even the bundles of money Joseph returned, in kindness, to his father, frightened him. He laid the fault upon his sons; knowing them, he feared they had provoked the Egyptians, and wrongfully brought home their money. Jacob plainly distrusted his sons, remembering that he never saw Joseph since he had been with them. It is bad with a family, when children behave so ill that their parents know not how to trust them. Jacob gives up Joseph for gone, and Simeon and Benjamin as in danger; and concludes, All these things are against me. It proved otherwise, that all these things were for him, were working together for his good, and the good of his family. We often think that to be against us, which is really for us. We are afflicted in body, estate, name, and in our relations; and think all these things are against us, whereas they are really working for us a weight of glory. Thus does the Lord Jesus conceal himself and his favour, thus he rebukes and chastens those for whom he has purposes of love. By sharp corrections and humbling convictions he will break the stoutness and mar the pride of the heart, and bring to true repentance. Yet before sinners fully know him, or taste that he is gracious, he consults their good, and sustains their souls, to wait for him. May we do thus, never yielding to discouragement, determining to seek no other refuge, and humbling ourselves more and more under his mighty hand. In due time he will answer our petitions, and do for us more than we can expect.