Genesis 42:13

And they said, Thy servants [are] twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest [is] this day with our father, and one [is] not.

And they said {H559}, Thy servants {H5650} are twelve {H8147}{H6240} brethren {H251}, the sons {H1121} of one {H259} man {H376} in the land {H776} of Canaan {H3667}; and, behold, the youngest {H6996} is this day {H3117} with our father {H1}, and one {H259} is not.

They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kena'an; the youngest stayed with our father, and another one is gone."

But they answered, β€œYour servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

Commentary

Genesis 42:13 is a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative of Joseph and his brothers, revealing their family situation to the powerful Egyptian governor (unbeknownst to them, their own brother, Joseph).

Context

This verse takes place during a severe famine that has gripped both the land of Canaan and Egypt. Joseph's ten older brothers have journeyed to Egypt to buy grain, as instructed by their father, Jacob. They stand before Joseph, who they do not recognize, but who immediately recognizes them. Joseph, testing them and orchestrating a divine plan, accuses them of being spies. In response, they desperately explain their family background to prove their innocence, leading to this confession.

Key Themes

  • Unknowing Confession and Dramatic Irony: The brothers' declaration, "Thy servants [are] twelve brethren... and one [is] not," is steeped in profound irony. They are unknowingly confessing the truth about their family to the very brother they believe to be dead. This highlights God's sovereign hand at work, using their honest (yet incomplete) testimony to advance His plan for their family and the nation of Israel.
  • Family Dynamics and Grief: Their statement reveals the enduring impact of Joseph's presumed death on their father, Jacob. The mention of "the youngest," Benjamin, underscores Jacob's deep attachment to him, as Benjamin is the only other son from his beloved wife, Rachel (Genesis 35:18). This detail will become crucial in Joseph's subsequent tests.
  • Divine Providence: This interaction is a critical step in Joseph's elaborate plan to bring his entire family to Egypt, setting the stage for their preservation during the famine and the eventual growth of the Israelite nation. It shows how God orchestrates events, even through human ignorance and past wrongs, to fulfill His greater purposes, as seen in Joseph's later understanding of God's hand (Genesis 50:20).

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "one [is] not" directly translates the Hebrew ΧΦ΅Χ™ΧŸΦΆΧ ΦΌΧ•ΦΌ (einennu), meaning "he is not" or "he is no more." This simple, yet poignant, phrase encapsulates the brothers' long-held belief that Joseph was dead. It's a stark and definitive way of expressing absence, underscoring the finality they associated with his disappearance, a belief they had allowed their father to endure for years.

Related Scriptures

  • For the initial account of Joseph's dreams and his brothers' jealousy, see Genesis 37:5-11.
  • The act of selling Joseph into slavery is detailed in Genesis 37:28.
  • Joseph's rise to power in Egypt is described in Genesis 41:40-44.
  • The brothers' later confession of their guilt regarding Joseph is found in Genesis 42:21.

Practical Application

Genesis 42:13 serves as a powerful reminder that God is actively involved in the details of our lives, even when we are unaware of His workings. The brothers' seemingly innocent statement was a crucial piece of information that allowed Joseph to continue his plan. It encourages us to trust in God's providence and sovereignty, recognizing that He can use our words, actions, and even our past mistakes to bring about His perfect will. It also underscores the long-term consequences of past actions and the eventual revelation of truth, reminding us that nothing is hidden from God's sight.

Note: Commentary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please remember that only the commentary section is AI-generated. The main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are sourced from trusted and verified materials.

Cross-References

  • Genesis 37:30

    And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child [is] not; and I, whither shall I go?

  • Genesis 44:20

    And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

  • Genesis 42:32

    We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

  • Genesis 43:7

    And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, [Is] your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

  • Genesis 42:36

    And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me.

  • Matthew 2:18

    In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

  • Exodus 1:2

    Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
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