Genesis 43:1-2 - Exposition

And the famine was sore (literally, was heavy ) in the land ( sc . of Canaan). And it came to pass , when they had eaten up—literally, had finished to eat up, i.e. not nearly (Mercerus, Bush), but entirely consumed— the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, —it is probable that only Jacob's family partook of the Egyptian corn, the slaves supporting themselves on roots, vegetables, and milk (Calvin, Rosenmüller, Gerlach)— their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. What they could buy would be little in proportion to their needs.