Genesis 42:27-32

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 42:21-28

Here is, I. The penitent reflection Joseph's brethren made upon the wrong they had formerly done to him, Gen. 42:21. They talked the matter over in the Hebrew tongue, not suspecting that Joseph, whom they took for a native of Egypt, understood them, much less that he was the person they spoke of. 1. They remembered with regret the barbarous cruelty wherewith they persecuted him: We are verily guilty concerning our brother. We do not read that they said this during their three days?... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 42:29-38

Here is, 1. The report which Jacob's sons made to their father of the great distress they had been in in Egypt; how they had been suspected, and threatened, and obliged to leave Simeon a prisoner there, till they should bring Benjamin with them thither. Who would have thought of this when they left home? When we go abroad we should consider how many sad accidents, that we little think of, may befal us before we return home. We know not what a day may bring forth; we ought therefore to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 42:27

And as one of them opened his sack ,.... According to the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi, this was Levi; but Aben Ezra thinks it is more likely to be Reuben the firstborn, who was one, that is, the first of them: to give his ass provender in the inn ; at which they lay very probably the first night of their journey; a good man regards the life of his beast, and takes care of that as well as of himself, and generally in the first place: he espied his money ; the money which he paid for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 42:28

And he said unto his brethren, my money is restored ,.... The money paid for the corn is returned: and, lo, it is even in my sack ; this put them all upon opening their sacks, where every man found his money, though not expressed, see Genesis 43:21 , and their heart failed them ; through surprise and fear; or "went out" F3 ויצא לבם "et exiit cor eorum", Montanus, Drusius, Piscator, Schmidt. front them, as it were, they were ready to faint and swoon away: and they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 42:29

And they came unto Jacob their father, unto the land of Canaan ,.... Without being pursued and fetched back, or retarded in their journey as they might fear: and told him all that befell unto them ; chiefly what befell them while in Egypt: saying , as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 42:30

The man, who is the lord of the land ,.... Of Egypt; not the king, but the deputy governor of it, whose authority under Pharaoh was very great, and reached to the whole land, and all political affairs, and especially what related to the corn, and the sale of it; he, say they: spake roughly to us ; gave them hard words, and stern looks, and used them in a very rough manner, see Genesis 42:7 , and took us for spies of the country ; laid such a charge against them, and treated them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 42:31

And we said unto him, we are true men ,.... Honest, upright men, not given to treacherous and treasonable practices, either in the country where they lived, or any other; they came to Egypt with no ill design upon the country, only to buy corn for the relief of their families in necessity: we are no spies ; or never were F5 לא היינו "non fuimus", Montanus; "nunquam fuimus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. : they had never been guilty of such practices, and never... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 42:32

We be twelve brethren, sons of our father ,.... All brethren by the father's side, though not by the mother's, and by one father; they had been twelve, and were so now, though they knew it not, supposing that one was dead, as is next observed: one is not ; is not alive, but dead; the Targum of Jonathan is,"what is become of one we know not" and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan ; see Genesis 42:13 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 42:27

One of them opened his sack - From Genesis 42:35 ; we learn that each of the ten brethren on emptying his sack when he returned found his money in it; can we suppose that this was not discovered by them all before? It seems not; and the reason was probably this: the money was put in the mouth of the sack of one only, in the sacks of the others it was placed at or near to the bottom; hence only one discovered it on the road, the rest found it when they came to empty their sacks at their... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 42:28

Their heart failed them - לבם ויצא valyetse libbam , their heart went out. This refers to that spasmodic affection which is felt in the breast at any sudden alarm or fright. Among the common people in our own country we find an expression exactly similar, "My heart was ready to leap out at my mouth," used on similar occasions. What is this that God hath done unto us? - Their guilty consciences, now thoroughly awakened, were in continual alarms; they felt that they deserved God's... read more

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