New English Translation
Genesis 42:1
1When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?”
Genesis 42:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
- New International Version (NIV)When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
Context of Genesis 42:1
When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” 2He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die.” 3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Read all of Genesis 42Genesis 42:1 word by word
וַיַּ֣רְא יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לְבָנָ֔יו לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 42:1
- Genesis 41:54Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.
- Acts 7:12So when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time.
- Exodus 5:19The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.”
- Exodus 20:18All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking – and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.
- 1 Kings 19:3Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there,
- Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and begged its great king for help. But he will not be able to heal you! He cannot cure your wound!
- Galatians 2:7On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised
- Joshua 7:10The Lord responded to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?
- 2 Kings 8:3After seven years the woman returned from the land of the Philistines and went to ask the king to give her back her house and field.
- Ezra 10:4Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”
- Jeremiah 8:14The people say, “Why are we just sitting here? Let us gather together inside the fortified cities. Let us at least die there fighting, since the Lord our God has condemned us to die. He has condemned us to drink the poison waters of judgment because we have sinned against him.
Commentaries on Genesis 42:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Jacob saw that there was corn - That is, Jacob heard from the report of others that there was plenty in Egypt. The operations of one sense, in Hebrew, are often put for those of another. Before agriculture was properly known and practiced, famines were frequent; Canaan seems to have been peculiarly vexed by them. There was one in this land in the time of Abraham, Genesis 12:10; another in the days of Isaac, Genesis 26:1; and now a third in the time of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-38Verses 1-38 - Joseph and Ten of His Brethren 1. שׁבר sheber “fragment, crumb, hence, grain.” בר bar “pure,” “winnowed,” hence, “corn” (grain). 6. שׁליט shallı̂yṭ “ruler, governor, hence,” Sultan. Not elsewhere found in the Pentateuch. 25. כלי kelı̂y “vessel,” here any portable article in which grain may be conveyed. שׂק śaq “sack,” the very word which remains in our language to this day. אמתחת 'amtachath “bag.” Twenty years, the period of Joseph‘s long…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Jacob sends ten sons to buy corn. (1-6) Joseph's treatment of his brethren. (7-20) Their remorse, Simeon detained. (21-24) The rest return with corn. (25-28) Jacob refuses to send Benjamin to Egypt. (29-38) Verses 1-6 Jacob saw the corn his neighbours had bought in Egypt, and brought home. It is a spur to exertion to see others supplied. Shall others get food for their souls, and shall we starve while it is to be had? Having discovered where help is to be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2God used the famine to bring Israel to Egypt under Joseph’s rule, thus fulfilling two prophecies (15:13; 37:7–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-381. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt--learned from common rumor. It is evident from Jacob's language that his own and his sons' families had suffered greatly from the scarcity; and through the increasing severity of the scourge, those men, who had formerly shown both activity and spirit, were sinking into despondency. God would not interpose miraculously when natural means of preservation were within reach.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 42:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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