New English Translation
Genesis 42:21
21They said to one other, “Surely we’re being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!”
Genesis 42:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
- New International Version (NIV)They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then they said to one another, "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
Context of Genesis 42:21
19If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back for your hungry families. 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then your words will be verified and you will not die.” They did as he said. They said to one other, “Surely we’re being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!” 22Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” 23(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through an interpreter.)
Read all of Genesis 42Genesis 42:21 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֗יו אֲבָל֮ אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים׀ אֲנַחְנוּ֮ עַל־אָחִינוּ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָאִ֜ינוּ צָרַ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ בְּהִתְחַֽנְנ֥וֹ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א שָׁמָ֑עְנוּ עַל־כֵּן֙ בָּ֣אָה אֵלֵ֔ינוּ הַצָּרָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- to anotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- verilyאֲבָל'ăbâl · trulyH61
- guiltyאָשֵׁם'âshêm · guiltyH818
- concerning our brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- in thatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- we sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the anguishצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- of his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- when he besoughtחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
- us, and we would not hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for Genesis 42:21
- Genesis 41:9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.
- Numbers 32:23“But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out.
- 2 Samuel 12:13Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die.
- 1 Kings 17:18She asked Elijah, “Why, prophet, have you come to me to confront me with my sin and kill my son?”
- Job 33:27That person sings to others, saying: ‘I have sinned and falsified what is right, but I was not punished according to what I deserved.
- Job 34:31“Has anyone said to God, ‘I have endured chastisement, but I will not act wrongly any more.
- Job 36:8But if they are bound in chains, and held captive by the cords of affliction,
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. Then they will seek me; in their distress they will earnestly seek me.
- Matthew 27:3Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders,
- Luke 16:28(for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’
- Acts 19:18Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known.
- Genesis 37:23When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore.
- Judges 1:7Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up food scraps under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.
- Proverbs 21:13The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and will not be answered.
- Proverbs 24:11Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter.
Commentaries on Genesis 42:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21We are verily guilty - How finely are the office and influence of conscience exemplified in these words! It was about twenty-two years since they had sold their brother, and probably their conscience had been lulled asleep to the present hour. God combines and brings about those favorable circumstances which produce attention and reflection, and give weight to the expostulations of conscience. How necessary to hear its voice in time, for here it may be…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. 21-24Verses 21-24 The office of conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. When the guilt of this sin of Joseph's brethren was fresh, they made light of it, and sat down to eat bread; but now, long afterward, their consciences accused them of it. See the good of afflictions; they often prove the happy means of awakening conscience, and bringing sin to our remembrance. Also, the evil of guilt as to our brethren. Conscience now reproached…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-23Surely we are being punished: The brothers believed that God was punishing them. They thought this because they now had to bring Benjamin to Egypt, even though their father did not want this. They connected this trouble with their past sin of selling Joseph to traders. They began to see this as divine punishment (God judging wrong actions). The fear of divine punishment began to cause feelings of guilt that Joseph's cries for mercy and their father's…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2417-24. put them ... into ward three days--Their confinement had been designed to bring them to salutary reflection. And this object was attained, for they looked upon the retributive justice of God as now pursuing them in that foreign land. The drift of their conversation is one of the most striking instances on record of the power of conscience [Ge 42:21, 22].Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 42:21
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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