Gen 42:1-3 | Clarke | STEP | Jacob sends his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn, ; but refuses to permit Benjamin to go, . They arrive in Egypt, and bow themselves before Joseph, , . He treats them roughly and calls them spies, . They defend themselves and give an account of their family, . He appears unmoved, and puts them all in prison for three days, . On the third day he releases them on condition of their bringing Benjamin, . Being convicted by their consciences, they reproach themselves with their cruelty to their brother Joseph, and consider themselves under the displeasure of God, . Joseph is greatly affected, detains Simeon as a pledge for Benjamin, orders their sacks to be filled with corn, and the purchase money to be put in each man's sack, , . When one of them is going to give his ass provender he discovers his money in the mouth of his sack, at which they are greatly alarmed, . They come to their father in Canaan, and relate what happened to them in their journey, . On emptying their sacks, each man's money is found in his sack's mouth, which causes alarm both to them and their father, . Jacob deplores the loss of Joseph and Simeon, and refuses to let Benjamin go, though Reuben offers his two sons as pledges for his safety, . Verse 1 Jacob saw that there was corn - That is, Jacob heard from the report of others that there was plenty in Egypt. The operations of one sense, in Hebrew, are often put for those of another. Before agriculture was properly known and practiced, famines were frequent; Canaan seems to have been peculiarly vexed by them. There was one in this land in the time of Abraham, ; another in the days of Isaac, ; and now a third in the time of Jacob. To this St. Stephen alludes, : there was great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance.

Genesis 42:1-3

Introduction

Jacob sends his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn, Gen 42:1-3; but refuses to permit Benjamin to go, Gen 42:4. They arrive in Egypt, and bow themselves before Joseph, Gen 42:5, Gen 42:6. He treats them roughly and calls them spies, Gen 42:7-10. They defend themselves and give an account of their family, Gen 42:11-13. He appears unmoved, and puts them all in prison for three days, Gen 42:14-17. On the third day he releases them on condition of their bringing Benjamin, Gen 42:18-20. Being convicted by their consciences, they reproach themselves with their cruelty to their brother Joseph, and consider themselves under the displeasure of God, Gen 42:21-23. Joseph is greatly affected, detains Simeon as a pledge for Benjamin, orders their sacks to be filled with corn, and the purchase money to be put in each man's sack, Gen 42:24, Gen 42:25. When one of them is going to give his ass provender he discovers his money in the mouth of his sack, at which they are greatly alarmed, Gen 42:26-28. They come to their father in Canaan, and relate what happened to them in their journey, Gen 42:29-34. On emptying their sacks, each man's money is found in his sack's mouth, which causes alarm both to them and their father, Gen 42:35. Jacob deplores the loss of Joseph and Simeon, and refuses to let Benjamin go, though Reuben offers his two sons as pledges for his safety, Gen 42:36-38.

Verse 1

Jacob saw that there was corn - That is, Jacob heard from the report of others that there was plenty in Egypt. The operations of one sense, in Hebrew, are often put for those of another. Before agriculture was properly known and practiced, famines were frequent; Canaan seems to have been peculiarly vexed by them. There was one in this land in the time of Abraham, Gen 12:10; another in the days of Isaac, Gen 26:1; and now a third in the time of Jacob. To this St. Stephen alludes, Act 7:11 : there was great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance.