Genesis 42:29-34

42:29 They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, 42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us ¹  as if we were ²  spying on the land. 42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies! 42:32 We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. ³  One is no longer alive, ⁴  and the youngest is with our father at this time ⁵  in the land of Canaan.’

42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain ⁶  for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know ⁷  that you are honest men and not spies. ⁸  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” ⁹ 

[42:30]  ¹ tn Heb “made us.”

[42:30]  ² tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:32]  ³ tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”

[42:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “the one is not.”

[42:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “today.”

[42:33]  ⁶ tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:34]  ⁷ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

[42:34]  ⁸ tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

[42:34]  ⁹ sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.