Genesis 42

Genesis 42 is a chapter in the Joseph narrative of Genesis 37–50. In Genesis 41, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams and becomes governor, after which the famine begins. In this chapter his brothers come down to Egypt to escape that famine.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Jacob hears that there is grain in Egypt and sends Joseph's ten older brothers. He does not send Benjamin, fearing that harm might befall him.
• Verses 6–8 The brothers bow to the ground before Joseph, the governor. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him.
• Verses 9–17 Joseph presses his brothers, accusing them of being spies. They reply that they are twelve brothers, that the youngest is with their father, and that one is no more. Joseph tells them to prove their innocence by bringing the youngest, and he confines them all for three days.
• Verses 18–24 Joseph tells them that one brother must stay while the rest return home with grain. The brothers say that this distress has come upon them because of their sin against their brother, and Reuben rebukes them. Because Joseph has been speaking through an interpreter, they do not realize that he understands them. Joseph turns aside and weeps, then returns and binds Simeon.
• Verses 25–28 Joseph orders that their money be put back into their sacks along with the grain. At the inn one of them discovers his money, and the brothers tremble with fear.
• Verses 29–38 The brothers report to Jacob what has happened, and when they empty their sacks, every man's bundle of money is found. Jacob laments that he cannot send Benjamin. Reuben pledges his two sons as surety that he will bring Benjamin back, but Jacob refuses.

Key Verses

• Genesis 42:9 "And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them" shows that this scene fulfills the dreams of Genesis 37.
• Genesis 42:21 "We are verily guilty concerning our brother" is the brothers' first confession of their sin.
• Genesis 42:36 "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not" expresses Jacob's sense of loss and leads into the conflict of chapter 43.

Characters and Places

• Joseph: Governor of Egypt. He recognizes his brothers but pretends not to know them.
• Jacob: Joseph's father. He fears losing Benjamin as well.
• Reuben: Jacob's firstborn son. He reminds his brothers that in chapter 37 he had urged them not to harm Joseph.
• Simeon: Jacob's second son, who remains in Egypt as a hostage.
• Benjamin: The youngest son, born to Rachel, and Joseph's full brother.
• Pharaoh: The king of Egypt. Joseph swears "by the life of Pharaoh."
• Egypt and Canaan: Respectively, the land where grain is available and the famine-stricken land of Jacob's household.

Points for Reflection

• The text does not state directly why Joseph treats his brothers harshly. Several interpretations have been handed down: that he was testing whether his brothers had changed, that his actions were mixed with emotions arising from past hurt, or that he wanted to see Benjamin.
• Nor does the text explain why Simeon was chosen. The explanation that Simeon had taken the lead in harming Joseph comes from later Jewish tradition.
• The brothers' confession and the incident of the money in the sacks are read as steps leading toward the divine providence revealed in Genesis 45:5–8.
• In the New Testament, Stephen's sermon in Acts 7:12–13 summarizes these events. There is also a tradition of reading Joseph as a type of Christ, though interpreters differ on how far the typology should be applied.

In the Korean Church

The Joseph narrative is frequently taught in Sunday school lessons and sermons. This chapter, with a focus on verse 21, is commonly preached as a text on guilt and repentance.