18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day , "Do this and live , for I fear God : 19 if you are honest men , let one of your brothers be confined in your prison e ; but as for the rest of you, go , carry grain for the famine of your households , 20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified , and you will not die ." And they did so .
21 Then they said to one another , " Truly we are guilty concerning our brother , because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen ; therefore e this distress has come upon us." 22 Reuben answered them, saying , " Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy '; and you would not listen ? Now e comes the reckoning for his blood ." 23 They did not know , however, that Joseph understood , for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept . But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes . 25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack , and to give them provisions for the journey . And thus it was done for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there . 27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place , he saw his money ; and behold , it was in the mouth of his sack . 28 Then he said to his brothers , "My money has been returned , and behold , it is even in my sack ." And their hearts sank , and they turned trembling to one another , saying , " What is this that God has done to us?"
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan , they told him all that had happened to them, saying , 30 "The man , the lord of the land , spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country . 31 "But we said to him, 'We are honest men ; we are not spies . 32 'We are twelve e brothers , sons of our father ; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan .' 33 "The man , the lord of the land , said to us, ' By this I will know that you are honest men : leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households , and go . 34 'But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies , but honest men . I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land .' " 35 Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks , that behold , every man's bundle of money was in his sack ; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money , they were dismayed . 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children : Joseph is no more , and Simeon is no more , and you would take Benjamin ; all these things are against me." 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father , saying , "You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care , and I will return him to you." 38 But Jacob said , "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead , and he alone is left . If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking , then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 42:18-38
Commentary on Genesis 42:7-20
(Read Genesis 42:7-20)
Joseph was hard upon his brethren, not from a spirit of revenge, but to bring them to repentance. Not seeing his brother Benjamin, he suspected that they had made away with him, and he gave them occasion to speak of their father and brother. God, in his providence, sometimes seems harsh with those he loves, and speaks roughly to those for whom yet he has great mercy in store. Joseph settled at last, that one of them should be left, and the rest go home and fetch Benjamin. It was a very encouraging word he said to them, "I fear God;" as if he had said, You may be assured I will do you no wrong; I dare not, for I know there is one higher than I. With those that fear God, we may expect fair dealing.
Commentary on Genesis 42:21-24
(Read Genesis 42:21-24)
The office of conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. When the guilt of this sin of Joseph's brethren was fresh, they made light of it, and sat down to eat bread; but now, long afterward, their consciences accused them of it. See the good of afflictions; they often prove the happy means of awakening conscience, and bringing sin to our remembrance. Also, the evil of guilt as to our brethren. Conscience now reproached them for it. Whenever we think we have wrong done us, we ought to remember the wrong we have done to others. Reuben alone remembered with comfort, that he had done what he could to prevent the mischief. When we share with others in their sufferings, it will be a comfort if we have the testimony of our consciences for us, that we did not share in their evil deeds, but in our places witnessed against them. Joseph retired to weep. Though his reason directed that he should still carry himself as a stranger, because they were not as yet humbled enough, yet natural affection could not but work.
Commentary on Genesis 42:25-28
(Read Genesis 42:25-28)
The brethren came for corn, and corn they had: not only so, but every man had his money given back. Thus Christ, like Joseph, gives out supplies without money and without price. The poorest are invited to buy. But guilty consciences are apt to take good providences in a bad sense; to put wrong meanings even upon things that make for them.
Commentary on Genesis 42:29-38
(Read Genesis 42:29-38)
Here is the report Jacob's sons made to their father. It troubled the good man. Even the bundles of money Joseph returned, in kindness, to his father, frightened him. He laid the fault upon his sons; knowing them, he feared they had provoked the Egyptians, and wrongfully brought home their money. Jacob plainly distrusted his sons, remembering that he never saw Joseph since he had been with them. It is bad with a family, when children behave so ill that their parents know not how to trust them. Jacob gives up Joseph for gone, and Simeon and Benjamin as in danger; and concludes, All these things are against me. It proved otherwise, that all these things were for him, were working together for his good, and the good of his family. We often think that to be against us, which is really for us. We are afflicted in body, estate, name, and in our relations; and think all these things are against us, whereas they are really working for us a weight of glory. Thus does the Lord Jesus conceal himself and his favour, thus he rebukes and chastens those for whom he has purposes of love. By sharp corrections and humbling convictions he will break the stoutness and mar the pride of the heart, and bring to true repentance. Yet before sinners fully know him, or taste that he is gracious, he consults their good, and sustains their souls, to wait for him. May we do thus, never yielding to discouragement, determining to seek no other refuge, and humbling ourselves more and more under his mighty hand. In due time he will answer our petitions, and do for us more than we can expect.