Genesis 42:7

As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were, but he acted like he did not know them. He spoke hard words to them and said, “Where do you come from?” His brothers answered, “We come from the country called Canaan. We have come to buy food.”

Barkly (portions)

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

6Joseph was the boss over all of Egypt and if anyone wanted to buy food, they had to speak to him. And so, Joseph's brothers went to him and bowed down with their faces on the ground in front of him.

8Joseph knew who they were, but they did not know that he was Joseph, their brother.

Read all of Genesis 42

Cross References

Genesis 42:9And Joseph remembered the dreams about them bowing down to him. He said to them, “I think you are spies. You are looking to see if our country is weak, so that you can fight us.”

Genesis 42:19You have said that you are honest men that live the right way. Ok, only one of you has to stay here in jail. The rest of you can go back home with food to feed your hungry families.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 42:2-7

Jacob Sends to Egypt to Buy Corn. ( b. c. 1706.) 1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befal him. 5 And the sons of Israel came to… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 42:7