Commentary - Genesis 42:1-5

Bird's-eye view

Here we come to one of the great turning points in the entire story of Joseph, and indeed, of the patriarchs. The stage has been set by a sovereign God, who uses even the brutalities of sinful men to accomplish His purposes. Joseph is exalted in Egypt, and the famine God predicted is now gripping the whole land, including the land of Canaan where his family dwells. This chapter marks the beginning of the end of a long and painful separation, and it is the beginning of a deep and necessary repentance for Joseph’s brothers. God is not just saving a family from starvation; He is purging a family of its foundational sins. The whole narrative is a beautiful illustration of what God does in the gospel. He brings us to the end of ourselves, confronts us with our sin, and does it all in order to save us. He wounds in order to heal.

The scene opens with the stark reality of the famine. Jacob, the aged patriarch, is forced by circumstance to send his sons into the very land where they had sold their brother. The irony is thick, and it is all God's doing. This is not a story of coincidence, but of intricate, sovereign providence. The brothers, who thought they had disposed of the dreamer, are now being driven by their empty stomachs straight into the fulfillment of his dreams. This is how God works. He weaves the dark threads of human sin into the bright tapestry of His redemption. The very actions they took to thwart God's word are the actions God uses to bring it to pass.

Outline

Context In Genesis

We are at a crucial juncture in the book of Genesis. The story of the patriarchs, which began with God's call to Abraham in chapter 12, is reaching its climax. The promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of descendants, land, and blessing, are all hanging in the balance. A severe famine threatens the very existence of the covenant family. But God, who works all things for His glory, has already prepared the means of their deliverance. Joseph, the son they betrayed, is now the second most powerful man in Egypt, providentially placed there "to preserve life" (Gen 45:5).

This section of Genesis (chapters 37-50) is a masterful narrative showing God's sovereign control over human affairs. The sin of the brothers in chapter 37 was heinous, but it was not ultimate. God's purpose was ultimate. Now, after more than twenty years, the consequences of that sin are coming home to roost. The brothers are about to be confronted by the one they wronged, and through that confrontation, God will bring about both their repentance and their salvation. This is a living demonstration of the principle that what man intends for evil, God intends for good (Gen 50:20).

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

The story begins with a simple observation. Jacob "saw" there was grain in Egypt. This wasn't a vision; it was common knowledge. The news had traveled. Egypt, under Joseph's wise administration, was the world's breadbasket. But while the solution was known, the sons of Jacob were paralyzed. They were just staring at one another. This is the posture of helplessness, of men who know they are in a bind but have no idea what to do. It is a picture of men stewing in the consequences of their own past actions, even if they don't consciously realize it yet. Jacob's question is a sharp rebuke. It's a father's exasperation with his sons' inaction. "Why are you looking at each other? Do something!" This is often how God's providence works; He uses the hard edges of reality to jostle us out of our stupor.

v. 2 Then he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we may live and not die.”

Jacob repeats the premise, "I have heard", and then issues a direct command. The command is simple and logical: go and buy. The stakes are as high as they can be: "so that we may live and not die." This is not about comfort or convenience; it is about survival. The famine is a threat of death, and Jacob is acting to preserve his family. But underneath this practical command, the hand of God is moving His chess pieces. The brothers must go "down there." This journey to Egypt is not just a geographical descent; it is a descent into their past. They are being sent by their father to face the brother they betrayed, though they do not know it. God is using the natural threat of starvation to accomplish a supernatural work of reconciliation and repentance.

v. 3 So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

The response is one of obedience, albeit a reluctant one driven by necessity. Ten brothers go. The number is significant. It is the same group that conspired against Joseph years before. Reuben, who had tried to save him, is with them. Judah, who proposed selling him, is with them. They are a collective unit of guilt, and they are now moving as one toward the place of their reckoning. The text simply says they "went down to buy grain," but they are going down for much more than that. They are going down to be tested, to be humbled, and ultimately, to be forgiven. Their intention is to buy food, but God's intention is to buy back their souls.

v. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest any harm befall him.”

Here we see the lingering wound in Jacob's heart. He has ten grown sons, but his protective anxiety is focused on one: Benjamin. Why? Because Benjamin is now the only remaining son of his beloved Rachel, or so he thinks. He had lost Joseph, and the thought of losing Benjamin is unbearable. His words, "Lest any harm befall him," reveal a deep-seated fear and a painful memory. This favoritism, which was the root of the family's dysfunction in the first place, is still present. Jacob has not fully learned his lesson. But God will use this very attachment to Benjamin as a key part of the test for the other brothers. Their willingness to protect Benjamin, the new favorite, will be the measure of their repentance for what they did to Joseph, the old favorite.

v. 5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

The verse concludes by placing the brothers' journey in a wider context. They were not the only ones in this predicament. The famine was widespread, and a great migration of peoples was heading toward Egypt. The "sons of Israel" were just a small group "among those who were coming." This detail serves to emphasize the sovereign power of Joseph, who is managing a global crisis. It also highlights the seeming insignificance of these ten men. In the grand scheme of things, they are just another desperate family. But in God's economy, they are the center of the story. They are the covenant line through which the Messiah will come. Their personal drama of sin and reconciliation is at the heart of God's plan for the redemption of the world. They are being humbled, lost in the crowd, before they can be exalted and restored.

Application

There are several points of application for us here. First, we see the unyielding nature of God's providence. God had a plan, spoken in dreams to a young boy, and nothing, not family hatred, not a pit, not slavery, not prison, could stop it. Our sins and follies are never outside of His control. He takes the very worst things we do and turns them to His glorious ends. This should give us immense comfort in our trials and deep humility regarding our sins. God is always working, even when all we can see is the famine.

Second, we must recognize that God often uses hardship to drive us to repentance. The brothers were comfortable in their sin for over two decades. They had their secret, and life went on. But God sent a famine. He made them hungry. He brought them to a place of desperation where they had to act. It is often in our emptiness, in our "staring at one another," that God's call to action becomes clearest. He will allow us to come to the end of our own resources so that we will finally turn to Him, even if it means a hard journey into a painful past.

Finally, this story is a shadow of the gospel. We, like the brothers, have sold our true brother, the Lord Jesus, for our own gain. We are spiritually starving in the land of Canaan, a land under the curse of sin. And we must go to the one we rejected for the bread of life. Jesus is the true Joseph, the exalted savior who holds the keys to life. He tests us, He brings our sin to the surface, not to condemn us, but to forgive us and welcome us into His house, to a feast of reconciliation. The journey of these ten brothers is our journey: from guilty paralysis to a humbling encounter with the savior, where we find not the vengeance we deserve, but the grace we desperately need.