Genesis 42:20

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 42:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
Genesis 42:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 42

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
20and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“But bring your youngest brother unto me, etc.] Upon their return for more corn: so shall your words be verified; that they were true men, and had no ill design upon the land, but were come only to buy corn: and ye shall not die; as spies, which they were otherwise threatened with; and as it is customary in all nations to put such to death when found out: and they did so; they left one of their brethren behind; they carried corn to their houses or families in Canaan, and brought their brother Benjamin with them when they returned to Egypt.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- 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 and anxious waiting, have come to an end. The dreams of his boyhood are now at length to be fulfilled. The famine has reached the chosen family, and they look at one another perplexed and irresolute, not knowing what to do. Genesis 42:1-5 The aged…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification