Genesis 43:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

Complete Jewish Bible:

so when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food."

Berean Standard Bible:

So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

American Standard Version:

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up^{{H3615}{H398}} the corn^{H7668} which they had brought out^{H935} of Egypt^{H4714}, their father^{H1} said^{H559} unto them, Go again^{H7725}, buy^{H7666} us a little^{H4592} food^{H400}.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Genesis 43:2

1. Themes:
- **Family Dynamics and Responsibility**: The verse reflects the familial responsibility that the sons of Jacob feel towards their younger brother Benjamin and their aging father. Jacob is reluctant to send Benjamin to Egypt, fearing for his safety, which shows his protective nature and the emotional bond within the family.
- **Providence and Trust**: There is an underlying theme of trust in God's providence. Despite the famine and the uncertainty of dealing with the unknown Egyptian official (who is actually Joseph), Jacob is urged to rely on divine guidance for the family's sustenance.
- **Famine and Survival**: The broader context of the verse is the severe famine that afflicts the region. The family's need to repeatedly go to Egypt for food underscores the desperation of the times and the necessity of seeking help beyond one's own resources.

2. Historical Context:
- The events in Genesis 43:2 occur during the account of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt. Joseph, one of Jacob's sons, had been sold into slavery by his brothers but had risen to a position of power in Egypt.
- The famine mentioned is a regional disaster that extends beyond the borders of Canaan, affecting Egypt as well. Joseph, through his role in Egypt, has prepared for this crisis and is in a position to aid his own family, though they are initially unaware of his identity.
- The time period is during the patriarchal age, when the ancestors of the Israelite people lived as semi-nomadic herders. The story is set in the late 2nd millennium BCE, though the exact historical timing is a matter of scholarly debate.

In summary, Genesis 43:2 captures a moment of familial tension and decision-making within the broader context of a severe famine, highlighting themes of family loyalty, divine providence, and survival during a historical period marked by the lives of the patriarchs and the early formation of the Israelite identity.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3615
   There are 200 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כָּלָה
   Transliteration: kâlâh
   Pronunciation: kaw-law'
   Description: a primitive root; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume); accomplish, cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when... were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish, fulfil, [idiom] fully, [idiom] have, leave (off), long, bring to pass, wholly reap, make clean riddance, spend, quite take away, waste.
   
2. Strong's Number: H398
   There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָכַל
   Transliteration: ʼâkal
   Pronunciation: aw-kal'
   Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. Strong's Number: H4714
   There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִצְרַיִם
   Transliteration: Mitsrayim
   Pronunciation: mits-rah'-yim
   Description: dual of מָצוֹר; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt; Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.
   
6. Strong's Number: H1
   There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָב
   Transliteration: ʼâb
   Pronunciation: awb
   Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
   
7. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
8. Strong's Number: H7725
   There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שׁוּב
   Transliteration: shûwb
   Pronunciation: shoob
   Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
   
9. Strong's Number: H7666
   There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁבַר
   Transliteration: shâbar
   Pronunciation: shaw-bar'
   Description: denominative from שֶׁבֶר; to deal in grain; buy, sell.
   
10. Strong's Number: H4592
    There are 92 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מְעַט
    Transliteration: mᵉʻaṭ
    Pronunciation: meh-at'
    Description: or מְעָט; from מָעַט; a little or few (often adverbial or compar.); almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, [idiom] very.
    
11. Strong's Number: H400
    There are 84 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֹכֶל
    Transliteration: ʼôkel
    Pronunciation: o'-kel
    Description: from אָכַל; food; eating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey, victuals.