Joseph’s Brothers Sent To Egypt
Chapter Overview (www.biblemaster.com) Wesley’s Explanatory Notes interspersed through
We have in this chapter,
I. The humble application of Jacob's sons to Joseph, to buy corn, verse 1-6.
II. The fright Joseph put them into, for their trial, verse 7-20.
III. The conviction they were now under of their sin concerning Joseph long before, verse 21-24.
IV. Their return to Canaan with corn, and the great distress their good father was in upon the account they gave him of their expedition, verse 25-38.
Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?"
Jacob saw that there was corn - That is, he saw the corn that his neighbours had bought there and brought home.
2 He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die."
Get you down thither - Masters of families must not only pray for daily bread for their families, but must with care and industry provide it. Me: Dad asked “Why don’t you do something?”
3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him."
5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food." He was deceitful here.
We may well wonder that Joseph, during the twenty years he had been in Egypt, especially during the last seven years that he had been in power there, never sent to his father to acquaint him with his circumstances; nay, 'tis strange that he who so oft went throughout all the land of Egypt, never made a step to Canaan, to visit his aged father. When he was in the borders of Egypt that lay next to Canaan, perhaps it would not have been above three or four days journey for him in his chariot. 'Tis a probable conjecture, that his whole management of himself in this affair was by special direction from heaven, that the purpose of God, concerning Jacob and his family, might be accomplished. When Joseph's brethren came, he knew them by many a good token, but they knew not him, little thinking to find him there.
8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land."
He remembered the dreams, but they had forgot them. The laying up of God's oracles in our hearts will be of excellent use to us in all our conduct. Joseph had an eye to his dreams, which he knew to be divine, in his carriage towards his brethren, and aimed at the accomplishment of them, and the bringing his brethren to repentance; and both those points were gained.
1. He shewed himself harsh with them: the very manner of his speaking, considering the post he was in, was enough to frighten them, for he spake roughly to them - He charged them with ill designs against the government, treated them as dangerous persons, ye are spies, protesting by the life of Pharaoh that they were so. Some make that an oath, others make it no more but a vehement asseveration; however, it was more than yea, yea, and nay, nay, and therefore came of evil.
2. They hereupon were very submissive; they spoke to him with all respect; nay, my lord. They modestly deny the charge, we are no spies; they tell him their business, they came to buy food, they give a particular account of themselves and their family, Genesis 42:13, and that was it he wanted.
3. He clapt them all up in prison three days.
4. He concluded with them at last, that one of them should be left as a hostage, and the rest should go home and fetch Benjamin. It was a very encouraging word he said, I fear God; q.d. You may assure yourselves, I will do you no wrong, I dare not, for I know that as high as I am, there is one higher than I. With those that fear God we have reason to expect fair dealing: the fear of God will be a check upon those that are in power, to restrain them from abusing their power to oppression and tyranny:
10 Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 "We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies." Deceitful.
12 Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!"
13 But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive."
14 Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies;
15 by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!
16 "Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."
17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.
18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God”: KEY VERSE
19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households,
20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so.
21 Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul (mind, will & emotions) when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us." KEY VERSE #2: WE ARE GUILTY
We are very guilty concerning our brother - We do not read that they said this during their three days imprisonment; but now when the matter was come to some issue, and they saw themselves still embarrassed, they began to relent. Perhaps Joseph's mention of the fear of God, put them upon consideration, and extorted this reflexion.
22 Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, `Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood." I told you so. ?; blood for blood
23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. Sadness
He took Simeon - He chose him for the hostage, probably because he remembered him to have been his most bitter enemy, or because he observed him now to be least humbled and concerned. He bound him before their eyes, to affect them all.
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.
Me: Joseph was generous. We should be as well – It’s important to tithe. See Mal 3.
26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.
27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" Theodicy
Their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done to us? - They knew that the Egyptians abhorred a Hebrew, Genesis 43:32, and therefore, since they could not expect to receive any kindness from them, they concluded that this was done with a design to pick a quarrel with them, the rather because the man, the lord of the land, had charged them as spies. Their own conscience were awake, and their sins set in order before them, and this puts them into confusion. When the events of providence concerning us are surprising, it is good to enquire what it is that God has done and is doing with us?
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 "The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 "But we said to him, `We are honest men; we are not spies. Me: now Joseph’s brothers were deceitful, since they weren’t honest re: Joseph.
32 `We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.'
33 "The man, the lord of the land, said to us, `By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go.
34 `But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.' "
35 Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me."
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you."
38 But Jacob said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow." Simeon was the brother who stayed – verse 24.
My son shall not go down with you - He plainly intimates a distrust of them, remembering that he never saw Joseph since he had been with them; therefore Benjamin shall not go with you.
Sheol, Strong's Number: 07585 underworld, grave, hell, pit the underworld; the OT designation for the abode of the dead, place of no return without praise of God, wicked sent there for punishment, righteous not abandoned to it, of the place of exile (fig) of extreme degradation in sin
KEY VERSES / SUMMARY / APPLICATION/ CONCLUSION
2 paraphrase: Why don’t we do something?
9 “Joseph remembered the dreams which he had.” We should, too.
18 “Fear God.” Not only should we have awe, but respect.
21 “We are guilty.” We need to be careful of deceit. We deserve hell / Sheol.
25 paraphrase: We should be generous and tithe to the Lord. We’ll be blessed.
28 "What is this that God has done to us?" We may ask why God allows evil.
End with 4 spiritual laws, Confession, Adoration Thanksgiving, Supplication
