Genesis 42:7
5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
- KJV
- And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
- WEB
- Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
- ASV
- And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them. Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
- DARBY
- And Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.
- BLB
- And Joseph saw his brothers and he recognized them, and he made himself strange to them, and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “From where have you⁺ come?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
- ÅB
- Da Josef så sine brødre, kjente han dem igjen; men han lot som om de var fremmede for ham, og talte hårdt til dem og sa til dem: Hvor kommer dere fra? De sa: Fra Kana'ans land for å kjøpe korn.
- OTB
- Da Josef så brødrene sine, kjente han dem igjen, men han forkledde seg og talte hardt til dem. "Hvor kommer dere fra?" spurte han. "Fra Kanaans land," svarte de, "for å kjøpe mat."
- B1930
- Da Josef så sine brødre, kjente han dem igjen; men han lot som om de var fremmede for ham, og talte hårdt til dem og sa til dem: Hvor kommer I fra? De sa: Fra Kana'ans land for å kjøpe korn.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Genesis 42:30
“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
Read in contextGenesis 42:19–20
If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
Read in contextGenesis 42:14–17
Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
Read in contextGenesis 42:9–12
Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
Read in contextMatthew 15:23–26
But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
Read in context