Genesis 42:18-20

42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say ¹  and you will live, ²  for I fear God. ³  42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison ⁴  while the rest of you go ⁵  and take grain back for your hungry families. ⁶  42:20 But you must bring ⁷  your youngest brother to me. Then ⁸  your words will be verified ⁹  and you will not die.” They did as he said. ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Heb “Do this.”

² tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.

³ sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.

⁴ tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”

⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.

⁶ tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”

⁷ tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

⁸ tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

⁹ tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

¹⁰ tn Heb “and they did so.”