Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 42:9

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

9. Ye are spies ] The pretext for this sudden accusation lies in the constant exposure of the Egyptians, on their eastern border, to raids and attacks from nomad hordes of Asiatics. Joseph’s words are therefore quite natural. LXX , Lat. exploratores.

the nakedness of the land ] Referring not to the desolation produced by the famine (as Targum of Onkelos), but to the weak and unprotected parts of the frontier: so the Lat. infirmiora terrae: the LXX = “the tracks (?) of the country,” is perplexing. Symm. .

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 9. Ye are spies] meraggelim attem, ye are footmen, trampers about, footpads, vagabonds, lying in wait for the property of others; persons who, under the pretence of wishing to buy corn, desire only to find out whether the land be so defenceless that the tribes to which ye belong (see Ge 42:11) may attack it successfully, drive out the inhabitants, and settle in it themselves; or, having plundered it, retire to their deserts. This is a frequent custom among the Arabs to the present day. Thus Joseph spake roughly to them merely to cover that warmth of affection which he felt towards them; and that being thus brought, apparently, into straits and dangerous circumstances, their consciences might be awakened to reflect on and abhor their own wickedness.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

This he saith, not because they were so, or he thought them to be so, but that he might search out the truth of their affair, speaking too much like a courtier or politician.

The nakedness of the land, i.e. the weak parts of it, and where it may be best assaulted or surprised.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

9-14. Ye are spiesThis is asuspicion entertained regarding strangers in all Eastern countriesdown to the present day. Joseph, however, who was well aware that hisbrethren were not spies, has been charged with cruel dissimulation,with a deliberate violation of what he knew to be the truth, inimputing to them such a character. But it must be remembered that hewas sustaining the part of a ruler; and, in fact, acting on the veryprinciple sanctioned by many of the sacred writers, and our LordHimself, who spoke parables (fictitious stories) to promote a goodend.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them,…. Their bowing and prostrating themselves before him brought to his remembrance his dreams of their sheaves making obeisance to his, and of the sun, moon, and eleven stars, doing the same to him, Ge 37:7;

and said unto them, ye [are] spies; not believing they were, nor absolutely asserting that they were such; but this he said to try them, and what they would say for themselves, and in order to lead on to further discourse with them, and to get knowledge of his father and brother Benjamin, whether living or not: he dealt with them as a judge on the bench, when examining persons, whose charges have the nature of an interrogation, as this has: “ye [are] spies”; are ye not? surely ye must be, and unless you give a better account of yourselves, I must take you up as such:

to see the nakedness of the land ye are come: what parts of it are weakest, most defenceless, and less fortified, and most easy to break in at, and invade the land; and it was not without reason that the Egyptians might suspect the neighbouring nations round about them, being in distress, and hearing of corn in Egypt, of forming a design of coming upon them and taking away their corn by force, and might be the reason why foreigners that came to buy corn were brought before Joseph and examined by him.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

As the sight of his brethren bowing before him with the deepest reverence reminded Joseph of his early dreams of the sheaves and stars, which had so increased the hatred of his brethren towards him as to lead to a proposal to kill him, and an actual sale, he said to them, “ Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land (i.e., the unfortified parts of the kingdom which would be easily accessible to a foe) ye are come; ” and persisted in this charge notwithstanding their reply, “ nay, my lord, but ( see Ges. 155, 1 b) to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons ( for , only in Exo 16:7-8; Num 32:32; 2Sa 17:12; Lam 3:42): honest ( ) are we; thy servants are no spies.” Cum exploratio sit delictum capitale, non est verisimile; quod pater tot filios uno tempore vitae periculo expositurus sit ( J. Gerhard). But as their assertion failed to make any impression upon the Egyptian lord, they told him still more particularly about their family (Gen 42:13.): “ Twelve are thy servants, brothers are we, sons of a man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is now with our father, and one is no more ( as in Gen 5:24). Joseph then replied, “ That is it ( neut. like Gen 20:16) that I spake unto you, saying ye are spies. By this shall ye be proved: By the life of Pharaoh! ye shall not ( , like Gen 14:23) go hence, unless your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother; but he shall be in bonds, and your words shall be proved, whether there be truth in you or not. By the life of Pharaoh! ye are truly spies! ” He then had them put into custody for three days. By the coming of the youngest brother, Joseph wanted to test their assertion, not because he thought it possible that he might not be living with them, and they might have treated him as they did Joseph ( Kn.), but because he wished to discover their feelings towards Benjamin, and see what affection they had for this son of Rachel, who had taken Joseph’s place as his father’s favourite. And with his harsh mode of addressing them, Joseph had no intention whatever to administer to his brethren “a just punishment for their wickedness towards him,” for his heart could not have stooped to such mean revenge; but he wanted to probe thoroughly the feelings of their hearts, “whether they felt that they deserved the punishment of God for the sin they had committed,” and how they felt towards their aged father and their youngest brother.

(Note: Joseph nihil aliud agit quam ut revelet peccatum fratrum hoc durissimo opere et sermone. Descendunt enim in Aegyptum una cum aliis emtum frumentum, securi et negligentes tam atrocis delicti, cujus sibi erant conscii, quasi nihil unquam deliguissent contra patrem decrepitum aut fratrem innocentem, cogitant Joseph jam diu exemtum esse rebus humanis, patrem vero rerum omnium ignarum esse. Quid ad nos? Non agunt poenitentiam. Hi silices et adamantes frangendi et conterendi sunt ac aperiendi oculi eorum, ut videant atrocitatem sceleris sui, idque ubi perfecit Joseph statim verbis et gestibus humaniorem se praebet eosque honorifice tractat. – Haec igitur atrocitas scelerum movit Joseph ad explorandos animos fratrum accuratius, ita ut non solum priorum delictorum sed et cogitationum pravarum memoriam renovaret, ac fuit sane inquisitio satis ingrata et acerba et tamen ab animo placidissimo profecta. Ego durius eos tractassem. Sed haec acerbitas, quam prae se fert, non pertinet ad vindicandum injuriam sed ad salutarem eorum poenitentiam, ut humilientur . Luther.)

Even in the fact that he did not send the one away directly to fetch Benjamin, and merely detain the rest, but put the whole ten in prison, and afterwards modified his threat (Gen 42:18.), there was no indecision as to the manner in which he should behave towards them – no “wavering between thoughts of wrath and revenge on the one hand, and forgiving love and meekness on the other;” but he hoped by imprisoning them to make his brethren feel the earnestness of his words, and to give them time for reflection, as the curt “is no more” with which they had alluded to Joseph’s removal was a sufficient proof that they had not yet truly repented of the deed.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

Verse 9-13:

The sight of his brothers prostrating themselves before him recalled to Joseph’s mind his dreams of more than twenty years ago (37:5-11). Joseph’s conduct toward his brothers evidences his strong faith in Jehovah and His purpose in the Covenant Nation. It also reveals his godly character. He did not seek revenge against his brothers for their shameful treatment of him, but manifested a spirit of forgiveness and compassion (Mt 5:39; Ro 12:17; 1Th 5:15; 1Pe 3:9).

In all Joseph’s experiences in Egypt, he did not lose his faith that God would eventually bring to fulfillment the prophetic vision of his dreams (Ge 37:5). His trials wrought patience to wait for God’s own timing (Ro 5:3-5). The impulse may have been strong for Joseph to reveal himself to his brothers immediately. But he must first know that they had undergone a change from their wicked jealously which led them to sell him into slavery over two decades past. This could be accomplished only by severe trial.

Joseph first accused the brothers of being on a spying mission, to seek out any vulnerable area in Egypt’s defenses. This was a common practice of the times. This charge would also give Joseph opportunity to learn of the affairs of his family.

The brothers vigorously denied this charge and affirmed their peaceful intentions: they had come to Egypt only to buy food for their families. The fact that they were “all one man’s sons” was a strong argument in their favor. No man would risk the lives of “all” his sons on such a dangerous spy mission as this, were the charge true.

Joseph repeated his charge, and thus led them to furnish further details of the family. He learned that Jacob was still alive, and that Benjamin was with him at home.

The brothers’ reference to their brother who “is not” implies their unresolved guilt in their evil treatment of Joseph They had never fully acknowledged their sin: thus it still rankled in their souls. Joseph then took steps to lead them to admit, confess, and correct their sin (Pr 28:13).

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

9. And Joseph remembered the dreams. When the boy Joseph had spoken of receiving obeisance, the absurdity of the thing impelled his brethren wickedly to devise his death. Now, although they bow down to him without knowing him, there is yet nothing better for them. Indeed, their only means of safety, is to prostrate themselves at his feet, and to be received by him as suppliants. Meanwhile, their conspiracy, by which they attempted to subvert the celestial decree, lest they should have to bear the yoke, was rendered fruitless. So the Lord forcibly restrains the obstinate, just as wild and refractory horses are wont to be more severely treated, the more they kick and are restive. Wherefore, there is nothing better than meekly to compose the mind to gentleness, that each may take his own lot contentedly, though it be not very splendid. It may, however, seem absurd, that Joseph should, at this time, have recalled his dream to mind, as if it had been forgotten through the lapse of years; which, indeed, could not be, unless he had lost sight of the promises of God. I answer, nothing is here recorded but what frequently happens to ourselves: for although the word of God may be dwelling in our hearts, yet it does not continually occur to us, but rather is sometimes so smothered that it may seem to be extinct, especially when faith is oppressed by the darkness of affliction. Besides, it is nothing wonderful, if a long series of evils should have buried, in a kind of oblivion, his dreams which indicated prosperity. God had exalted him, by these dreams, to the hope of great and distinguished authority. He is, however, cast into a well not unlike a grave. He is taken hence to be sold as a slave; he is carried to a distant land; and, as if slavery would not prove sufficiently severe, he is shut up in prison. And though his misery is in some degree mitigated, when he is released from his iron fetters, yet there was little, if any, prospect of deliverance. I do not, however, think that the hope entertained by him was entirely destroyed, but that a cloud passed over it, which deprived him of the light of comfort. A different kind of temptation followed; because nothing is more common than for great and unexpected felicity to intoxicate its possessors. And thus it happened, as we have recently read, that a forgetfulness of his father’s house stole over the mind of the holy man. He was not, therefore, so mindful of his dreams as he ought to have been. Another excuse may probably be alleged; that he, at the moment, compared his dreams with the event. And truly it was no common virtue to apply what was passing, thus immediately for the confirmation of the Divine oracle. For we readily perceive, that those dreams which so quickly recur to the memory, had not been obliterated through length of time. So the disciples remembered the words of the Lord after he had risen from the dead; because, by the sight of the fact predicted, their knowledge became more clear; whereas, before, nothing but transient sparks of it had shined in their hearts.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(9) Ye are spies.This is the suspicion under which every traveller labours in the East; but in those days the whole Semitic race was especially looked upon in Egypt with distrust, and, as we saw in Gen. 12:15. a chain of fortresses had been built to protect the land from their incursions. Such an arrival, therefore, as that of Josephs brethren would be a matter of state, worthy of the attention of the highest officials; and probably they had themselves come prepared to be assailed with the accusation of having political objects in view in their visit.

The nakedness of the land.That is, its defenceless condition, from the want of fortresses and garrisons. Egypt was chiefly assailable on the side of Palestine, and was often at war with the Hittites there. So also the Hyksos, who subdued Egypt, were Semites from Palestine, and thus there was reason for looking closely at visitors from that quarter.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

9. Remembered the dreams How strangely but clearly fulfilled! They had thought to put him out of their way, and said, “We shall see what will become of his dreams . ” Gen 37:20. Now, behold, what comes of his dreams!

Ye are spies This would be a very natural charge for Joseph to make in order to carry out his policy with his brethren . “The Egyptians were always most liable to be assailed from the east and north-east. The various Arab and Canaanitish tribes seem to have constantly made incursions into the more settled and civilized land of Egypt. Particularly the Hittites were at constant feud with the Egyptians. Moreover, the famous Hyksos invasion and domination may have been very nearly impending at this period.” Speaker’s Com.

Nakedness of the land In this time of dearth the land may have been in a comparatively exposed and defenceless condition.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

He had lessons which he wished to teach them. He remembered the dreams of them bowing down to him and was determined they would do it in full measure, for as they spoke with him through the interpreters they would constantly abase themselves to him. He accuses them of being spies come to spy out conditions in the land so as to report back to prospective invaders. The words must have brought a chill to their hearts. The Egyptians could be very severe on their enemies and this man clearly had the power of life and death.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Gen 42:9. Ye are spies This might be rendered, are ye spies? or, are ye not spies? are ye not come to spy out the nakedness of the land? by which means, the direct affirmation is removed. The nakedness of the land signifies, the weak, unfortified places of the country. Le Clerc observes, that what made Joseph’s feigned suspicion the more plausible was, that they entered AEgypt by those parts where alone it is liable to be invaded; as Herodotus observes, lib. 3: cap. 4. and 5. where he gives an account of Cambyses’ descent upon AEgypt.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Gen 42:9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

Ver. 9. And Joseph remembered the dreams. ] Event is the best interpreter of divine oracles The disciples understood not many things at first that our Saviour said to them; as that. Joh 2:22 ; Joh 12:16 So John Baptist’s preaching wrought not for some years after it was delivered, and then it did. Joh 10:41-42 The spouse either heard not, or heeded not that speech of her beloved, “Open unto me, my sister, my spouse,” till some while after he was gone. Son 5:2-6

Ye are spies. ] This, Joseph speaks not, assertive, but tentative; not seriously, but by a covert counsel; not as himself thought, but as the Egyptians suspected; or not absolutely, but conditionally; “ye are spies,” unless you prove what ye have spoken. a

a Exploratores deputo homini merito mendacii vestri. – Aug.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)