Genesis 42:14-16 - Exposition

And Joseph said unto them (betraying his excitement in his language), That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies . But Joseph knew by this time that they were not spies. Hence his persistent accusation of them, which to the brothers must have seemed despotic and tyrannical, and which cannot be referred to malevolence or revenge, must be explained by a desire on the part of Joseph to bring his brothers to a right state of mind. Hereby (or in this) ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh— literally, life of Pharaoh An Egyptian oath ( LXX ; Gesenius, Rosenmüller, Kalisch, Lange), in using which Joseph was not without blame, aliquid esse fateor quod merito culpetur (Calvin) though by some (Ainsworth, Wordsworth, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary') the expression is regarded simply as a strong asseveration (cf. 1 Samuel 1:26 ; 1 Samuel 17:55 )— ye shall not go forth hence except your youngest brother come hither. The condition, which must have appeared extremely frivolous to Joseph's brethren, was clearly designed to ascertain the truth about Benjamin. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye ( i.e. the rest of you) shall be kept in prison (literally, shall be put in bonds ) , that your words may be proved (literally, and your words shall be proved ) , whether there be any truth in you; or else (literally, and if not ) by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies —literally ( sc . I swear), that ye are spies.