Genesis 42:8-28 NIV

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:15-17

"Hereby shall ye be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. And he put them all together into ward three days."So the accused must prove themselves innocent. To this point, Joseph had disposed of the case fully in keeping with what anyone in Egypt... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:18-20

"And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses: and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.""This do, and live ... Your words shall be verified, and ye shall not die ..." From this it appears that the imprisonment of the alleged spies implied also that they were to be... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:21-23

"And they said one to another, We are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them saying, Spake I not unto you, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.""We are guilty ..." "Conscience arouses in the brethren the... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:24-25

"And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him in prison before their eyes. Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus it was done unto them."The conversation of the conscience-stricken brothers recalled all too vividly the tragedy in his own life for which they were guilty, and the burning... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:26-28

"And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another saying, What is this that God hath done unto us?"The mention here of only one of the brothers finding his money, and later of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:8

Genesis 42:8. They knew not him— Every thing concurred to conceal Joseph from them; the alteration of his person; his dress; his state; and, above all, their having no apprehension of meeting him. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:9

Genesis 42:9. Ye are spies— This might be rendered, are ye spies? or, are ye not spies? are ye not come to spy out the nakedness of the land? by which means, the direct affirmation is removed. The nakedness of the land signifies, the weak, unfortified places of the country. Le Clerc observes, that what made Joseph's feigned suspicion the more plausible was, that they entered AEgypt by those parts where alone it is liable to be invaded; as Herodotus observes, lib. 3: cap. 4. and 5. where he... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:11

Genesis 42:11. We are all one man's sons— Their answer here was very pertinent; for it was not probable that a father would have sent his sons, and much less all of them, in one company, upon so dangerous an exploit; nor that one particular person, or family, would have formed a design against so capital a kingdom as that of AEgypt. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:14

Genesis 42:14. That is it that I spake— This confirms what I said, and gives me just grounds for suspicion that you really are spies: you pretend to have another brother; why then should your father not have sent all, as well as so many. Hereby ye shall be proved; this is the very point in which I will try you. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:15

Genesis 42:15. By the life of Pharaoh— This was a solemn protestation; as he valued the life and honour of his prince, he would do so and so. Judah explains it in this manner to his father, ch. Genesis 43:3. The man did solemnly protest unto us; and certainly Judah, who heard him, must best understand his meaning. Yet the protestation is not to be vindicated in Joseph. There can be no doubt, that it was customary among the heathens to swear, properly speaking, by the life or health of their... read more

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:15-17

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:18-20

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:21-23

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:24-25

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 42:26-28

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:8

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:9

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:11

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:14

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 42:15

Group of Brands