Genesis 42:5

Genesis 42:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
• New International Version (NIV)So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Context of Genesis 42:5

3So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. 4But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him. So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. 6Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. 7Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.”

Genesis 42:5 word by word

וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִשְׁבֹּ֖ר בְּת֣וֹךְ הַבָּאִ֑ים כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה הָרָעָ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to buyשָׁבַרshâbar · to buy grainH7666
• amongתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• for the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• was in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667

Cross-references for Genesis 42:5

• Genesis 12:10At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.
• Genesis 26:1A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
• Genesis 41:57And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.
• Acts 7:11“But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food.
• Acts 11:28One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)

Commentaries on Genesis 42:5

• 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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-38Joseph did several unusual things to his brothers when they came looking for grain. The last time Joseph had been with them, they were filled with jealousy, hatred, and anger; they attempted to destroy their brother, and they deceived their father. Joseph put them through various tests, similar to the trying situations they had put him through, to see if they had changed.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. the famine was in the land of Canaan--The tropical rains, which annually falling swell the Nile, are those of Palestine also; and their failure would produce the same disastrous effects in Canaan as in Egypt. Numerous caravans of its people, therefore, poured over the sandy desert of Suez, with their beasts of burden, for the purchase of corn; and among others, "the sons of Israel" were compelled to undertake a journey from which painful associations…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 42:5

• Commerce

In the dictionaries

• Canaan
• Israel
• Canaan; Canaanites
• Canaan, Canaanite
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Bereave
• Espy
• Famine
• Fear

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