King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
Complete Jewish Bible:
If you are upright men, let one of your brothers remain incarcerated in the prison you're being kept in, while you go and carry grain back to relieve the famine in your homes.
Berean Standard Bible:
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.
American Standard Version:
if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses:
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
If ye be true{H3651} men, let one{H259} of your brethren{H251} be bound{H631} in the house{H1004} of your prison{H4929}: go{H3212} ye, carry{H935} corn{H7668} for the famine{H7459} of your houses{H1004}:
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 42:26
- And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
Genesis 40:3
- And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph [was] bound.
Jeremiah 37:15
- Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
Genesis 41:56
- And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Isaiah 42:22
- But this [is] a people robbed and spoiled; [they are] all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
Isaiah 42:7
- To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Genesis 42:1
- ¶ Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
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Commentary for Genesis 42:19
Genesis 42:19 is a part of the narrative concerning Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob (also known as Israel), who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and eventually rose to a position of power in Egypt. The verse is set during a time of severe famine, which extended beyond the borders of Egypt to the land of Canaan where Jacob and his family lived.
In this verse, Joseph, who has not yet revealed his identity to his brothers, is speaking to them. He accuses them of being spies and devises a test to prove their honesty and to determine if they have any moral integrity. Joseph demands that one brother remain as a hostage in Egypt while the others return to Canaan to bring back their youngest brother, Benjamin, as proof of their story. The brother who stays behind will be imprisoned, while the rest are instructed to take the grain they have purchased back to their starving families.
The themes present in this verse include:
1. **Famine and Providence**: The famine sets the stage for the reunion of Joseph with his family, highlighting the theme of God's providence even in times of distress.
2. **Testing of Character**: Joseph's challenge to his brothers is a test of their loyalty to each other and their willingness to sacrifice for the family's welfare, reflecting the theme of moral integrity and accountability.
3. **Brotherly Love and Responsibility**: The verse touches on the theme of familial duty, as the brothers must now decide whether to prioritize their own families' immediate needs or the welfare of their father and youngest brother.
4. **Divine Sovereignty**: The unfolding events are part of a larger divine plan, which is leading to the fulfillment of Joseph's dreams and the preservation of the family line that will become the nation of Israel.
5. **Redemption and Forgiveness**: Although the brothers do not yet realize it, their actions in response to Joseph's test will lead to a process of redemption and forgiveness, as Joseph will later forgive them for their past betrayal.
In the broader historical context, this narrative reflects the experiences of the early Hebrew people, emphasizing themes of divine guidance, family loyalty, and the moral development of individuals within the biblical tradition. This verse is part of the foundational story of the Israelites, which sets a precedent for how God's plans are worked out through the complex dynamics of human relationships and challenging circumstances.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3651
There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֵּן
Transliteration: kên
Pronunciation: kane
Description: from כּוּן; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles); [phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, [phrase] there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H259
There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶחָד
Transliteration: ʼechâd
Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together, - Strong's Number: H251
There are 636 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָח
Transliteration: ʼâch
Pronunciation: awkh
Description: a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father)); another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'. - Strong's Number: H631
There are 565 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָסַר
Transliteration: ʼâçar
Pronunciation: aw-sar'
Description: a primitive root; to yoke or hitch; by analogy, to fasten in any sense, to join battle; bind, fast, gird, harness, hold, keep, make ready, order, prepare, prison(-er), put in bonds, set in array, tie. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H4929
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִשְׁמָר
Transliteration: mishmâr
Pronunciation: mish-mawr'
Description: from שָׁמַר; a guard (the man, the post or the prison); a deposit (figuratively); also (as observed) a usage (abstractly), or an example (concretely); diligence, guard, office, prison, ward, watch. - Strong's Number: H3212
There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָלַךְ
Transliteration: yâlak
Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H7668
There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֶׁבֶר
Transliteration: sheber
Pronunciation: sheh'-ber
Description: the same as שֶׁבֶר; grain (as if broken into kernels); corn, victuals. - Strong's Number: H7459
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רְעָבוֹן
Transliteration: rᵉʻâbôwn
Pronunciation: reh-aw-bone'
Description: from רָעֵב; famine; famine.