Genesis 42:1-38 Joseph’s First Dream Fulfilled

1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" 2 And he said, "Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die." 3 So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "Lest some calamity befall him." 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, "Where do you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food." 8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!" 10 And they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies." 12 But he said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land." 13 And they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more." 14 But Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!' 15 "In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!" 17 So he put them all together in prison three days.

18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us." 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us." 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers, "My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!" Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, "What is this that God has done to us?"

29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 "The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.' 33 "Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.' "

35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me." 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you." 38 But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave." NKJV

Facts revealed:

Y The famine extended throughout the land of Canaan and impacted Israel.

Y Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt and sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain keeping Benjamin, his only remaining son of Rachel, at home fearing some calamity might befall him on the way as it had to his only brother Joseph.

Y Joseph was governor of the land, and all sale of grain was done through his hand.

Y Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth, fulfilling his dream that they would bow down to him. [Genesis 37:5-8]

Y Joseph’s brothers did not recognize Joseph because it was 21 years since they had sold him as a slave at age 17 and now he is a ruler in Egypt at age 38 which they did not expect.

Y Joseph recognized his brothers and remembered the dreams and how he had been sold into slavery, so he accused them of being spies and threw them in prison three days.

Y The third day, speaking through an interpreter, Joseph said, :I fear Elohiym, if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house, but you go and carry grain for the famine of your houses, and bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”

Y Joseph’s brothers indicated that they still remembered what they had done to Joseph and acknowledged how they had sold him when he was pleading with them, but they had not listened. Now they view their present plight to be a punishment for their crime and that now his blood is being required of them. They were speaking Hebrew and didn’t know that Joseph understood them since he was using an interpreter.

Y So Joseph Bound Simeon before their eyes and sent them home with grain for their families to survive the famine.

Y Joseph commanded his men to fill their sacks and put their money in the mouth of their sacks, he also gave them provisions for the journey.

Y When one found the money in his sack, they were terrified and said, “What is this that Elohiym has done to us?

Y They arrived home and told Jacob all that had transpired in their encounter with the governor of the land and that he had kept Simeon with instructions that they prove their word by bringing Benjamin to him, and then they would be free to trade in the land.

Y As they emptied their sacks they all found their money in the sacks, and they were afraid.

Y Jacob placed the blame on them and said, “You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.” Thus Jacob indicated that all his sons are precious to him and not just Joseph and Benjamin. Simeon is the second born to Jacob through Leah, Reuben is his firstborn.

Y Reuben offered his own two sons as security if he failed to bring Benjamin back to his farther.

Y Jacob refused to allow Benjamin to go because he is the only son left of his mother, saying, “If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.