Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Genesis Chapter 42
Overview
Gen 42:1, Jacob sends his ten sons to buy corn in Egypt; Gen 42:16, They are imprisoned by Joseph for spies; Gen 42:18, They are set at liberty, on condition to bring Benjamin; Gen 42:21, They have remorse for Joseph; Gen 42:24, Simeon is kept for a pledge; Gen 42:25, They return with corn, and their money; Gen 42:29, Their relation to Jacob; Gen 42:36, Jacob refuses to send Benjamin.
when Jacob: Gen 41:54, Gen 41:57; Act 7:12
saw: i.e. heard, from the report of others, that there was plenty in Egypt. The operations of one sense are frequently put for those of another in Hebrew (see the parallel passages). Gen 42:2; Exo 5:19, Exo 20:18; Kg1 19:3; Hos 5:13; Gal 2:7
Why do ye: Jos 7:10; Kg2 8:3, Kg2 8:4; Ezr 10:4; Jer 8:14
get you: Gen 43:2, Gen 43:4, Gen 45:9
that we: Gen 43:8; Psa 118:17; Isa 38:1; Mat 4:4
Benjamin: Gen 35:16-19
Lest: Gen 42:38, Gen 3:22, Gen 11:4, Gen 33:1, Gen 33:2, Gen 43:14, Gen 43:29, Gen 44:20-22, Gen 44:27-34
for: Gen 12:10, Gen 26:1, Gen 41:57; Act 7:11, Act 11:28
governor: Shallit, an intendant, protector, ruler, from shalat, to be over or a protector, to rule. hence the Arabic salita, to obtain and exercise dominion, rule; and sultân, ruler, lord, prince, and king. Gen 41:40, Gen 41:41, Gen 45:8, Gen 45:26; Psa 105:16-21; Act 7:10
he it was: Gen 41:55, Gen 41:56
bowed: Gen 18:2, Gen 19:1, Gen 37:7, Gen 37:9, Gen 44:14; Rev 3:9
roughly unto them: Heb. hard things with them, Gen 42:9-12, Gen 42:14-17, Gen 42:19, Gen 42:20; Mat 15:23-26
but they knew: Luk 24:16; Joh 20:14, Joh 21:4
remembered: Gen 37:5-9
Ye are spies: Persons who, under the pretence of wishing to buy corn, desire only to find out whether the land be so defenceless that the tribes to which you belong may attack it successfully, drive out the inhabitants, and settle themselves in it; or, having plundered it, retire into their deserts. This is a frequent custom among the Arabs to the present day. Gen 42:9, Gen 42:16, Gen 42:30, Gen 42:31, Gen 42:34; Num 13:2, Num 13:16-20; Jos 2:1, Jos 6:23; Jdg 1:24; Sa1 26:4; Luk 20:20; Heb 11:31
nakedness: Exo 32:35
Gen 27:29, Gen 27:37, Gen 37:8, Gen 44:9; Sa1 26:17; Kg1 18:7
We are: etc. We do not belong to different tribes; and it is not likely that one family would make a hostile attempt upon a whole kingdom; nor, if any serious design had been intended, that one man would have sent his sons on so hazardous an expedition.
true men: Gen 42:19, Gen 42:33, Gen 42:34; Joh 7:18; Co2 6:4
nakedness: Gen 42:9
Thy servants: Gen 42:11, Gen 42:32, Gen 29:32-35, 30:6-24, Gen 35:16-26, Gen 43:7, 46:8-27; Exo 1:2-5; Num. 1:1-54, 10:1-36, 26:1-65, 34:1-29; 1Chr. 2:1-8:40
one is not: Gen 42:36, Gen 42:38, Gen 37:30, Gen 44:20, Gen 44:28, Gen 45:26; Jer 31:15; Lam 5:7; Mat 2:16, Mat 2:18
Gen 42:9-11; Job 13:24, Job 19:11; Mat 15:21-28
By the life: Gen 42:7, Gen 42:12, Gen 42:16, Gen 42:30; Deu 6:13; Sa1 1:26, Sa1 17:55, Sa1 20:3; Jer 5:2, Jer 5:7; Mat 5:33-37; Mat 23:16-22; Jam 5:12
except: Gen 42:20, Gen 42:34, Gen 43:3, Gen 44:20-34
kept in prison: Heb. bound, Gen 42:19
put: Heb. gathered, Isa 24:22; Act 5:18
ward: Gen 40:4, Gen 40:7, Gen 41:10; Lev 24:12; Psa 119:65; Act 4:3; Heb 12:10
I fear God: Gen 20:11; Lev 25:43; Neh 5:9, Neh 5:15; Luk 18:2, Luk 18:4
house: Gen 40:3; Isa 42:7, Isa 42:22; Jer 37:15
carry corn: Gen 42:1, Gen 42:2, Gen 42:26, Gen 41:56, Gen 43:1, Gen 43:2, Gen 45:23
bring: Gen 42:15, Gen 42:34, Gen 43:5, Gen 43:19, Gen 44:23
And they: Gen 42:26, Gen 6:22; Joh 2:5
they said: Gen 41:9; Num 32:23; Sa2 12:13; Kg1 17:18; Job 33:27, Job 33:28, Job 34:31, Job 34:32; Job 36:8, Job 36:9; Hos 5:15; Mat 27:3, Mat 27:4; Mar 9:44, Mar 9:46, Mar 9:48; Luk 16:28; Act 19:18
we saw: Gen 37:23-28; Jdg 1:7; Pro 21:13, Pro 24:11, Pro 24:12, Pro 28:17; Jer 2:17, Jer 2:19, Jer 4:18; Jer 34:17; Mat 7:2; Jo1 1:9; Jam 2:13
this distress: Pro 1:27, Pro 1:28
Spake I: Gen 37:21, Gen 37:22, Gen 37:29, Gen 37:30; Luk 23:41; Rom 2:15
his blood: Gen 4:10, Gen 9:5, Gen 9:6; Kg1 2:32; Ch2 24:22; Psa 9:12; Eze 3:18; Luk 11:50, Luk 11:51; Act 28:4; Rev 13:10, Rev 16:9
he spake unto them by an interpreter: Heb. an interpreter was between them, The mailitz does not seem to have been an interpreter in our sense of the term; as we have many evidences in this book that the Egyptians, Hebrews, Canaanites, and Syrians, could understand each other in a general way; and it appears from several passages in this very chapter (particularly Gen 42:24), that Joseph and his brethren understood each others' language, as his brethren and Joseph's steward also did (Gen 43:19, etc; compare Gen 39:1 and Gen 49:1). It seems to denote an officer who is called in Abyssinia, according to Mr. Bruce, Kal Hatze, "the voice or word of the king," who always stands at the side of a lattice window of a balcony, within which the king sits; who is never seen, but who speaks through a hole in the side of it, covered in the inside with a curtain, to this officer, by whom he speaks to the persons present. Joh 16:13, Joh 16:14; Co2 5:20
wept: Gen 43:30; Isa 63:9; Luk 19:41; Rom 12:15; Co1 12:26; Heb 4:15
Simeon: Gen 34:25, Gen 49:5-7; Jde 1:22, Jde 1:23
commanded: Gen 44:1, Gen 44:2; Isa 55:1
to give them: Gen 45:21; Mat 6:33
and thus: Mat 5:44; Rom 12:17-21; Pe1 3:9
the inn: Gen 43:21, Gen 44:11; Exo 4:24; Luk 2:7, Luk 10:34
inn: Malon, from loon, to stay, abide, lodge, denotes any place to stay and lodge in, particularly a place where travellers usually stop to lodge, which is generally near a well, where they fill their girbehs, or leathern bottles, with fresh water, and having unladen and clogged their camels, asses, etc., permit them to crop any little verdure there may be in the place, keeping watch over them by turns. Our word inn here gives us a false idea, there were no such places of entertainment in the desert which Joseph's brethren had to pass; nor are there any at the present day. The only accommodation such a place affords is either a well, or a khan, or caravanserai, which is generally no more than four bare walls, perfectly exposed, the place being open at the top, and furnishing a wretched lodging, and even these, it is probable, were not in use at this early period.
their heart: Gen 42:36, Gen 27:33; Lev 26:36; Deu 28:65; Kg1 10:5; Psa 61:2; Sol 5:6; Luk 21:26
failed them: Heb. went forth, This refers to the spasmodic affection which is felt in the breast at any sudden alarm or fright.
What is: Isa 45:7; Lam 2:17, Lam 3:37; Amo 3:6
roughly to us: Heb. with us hard things, Gen 42:7-20
true: Gen 42:11
twelve brethren: Gen 42:13
Gen 42:15, Gen 42:19, Gen 42:20
traffic: Gen 34:10, Gen 34:21; Kg1 10:15; Eze 17:4
every man's: Gen 42:27, Gen 42:28, Gen 43:21
Me have ye: Gen. 37:20-35, Gen 43:14
all these things are against me: Alay hayoo cullanah, literally, "upon me are all these things:" rendered by the Vulgate, in me hec omnia mala reciderunt, "all these evils fall back upon me;" they lie upon me as heavy loads, hastening my death. they are more than I can bear. Gen 45:28, Gen 47:12; Sa1 27:1; Job 7:7; Psa 34:19; Ecc 7:8; Isa 27:9, Isa 38:10; Isa 41:10, Isa 41:13, Isa 41:14; Mat 14:31; Rom 8:28, Rom 8:31; Co1 10:13; Co2 4:17; Jam 5:7-11
Slay my: Gen 43:9, Gen 44:32-34, Gen 46:9; Mic 6:7
his brother: Gen 42:13, Gen 30:22-24, Gen 35:16-18, Gen 37:33, Gen 37:35, Gen 44:20, Gen 44:27-34
if mischief: Gen 42:4, Gen 44:29
bring: Gen 37:35, Gen 44:29, Gen 44:31; Kg1 2:6; Psa 71:18, Psa 90:10; Ecc 1:14, Ecc 2:26; Isa 38:10; Isa 46:4