Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Genesis 42:23

an interpreter The services of interpreters would be necessary for the maintenance of intercourse between Egyptian rulers and the inhabitants of Canaan. The Tel el-Amarna tablets shew that between the kings of Canaanite cities and the court of Egypt, communications were carried on in the Assyrian language, as a kind of lingua franca. For other examples in the O.T., illustrating difficulties of communication between nationalities speaking different languages, see 2 Kings 18:26; Ezra 4:7.

Continues after advertising

See also Genesis 42:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 42:23. _FOR HE SPAKE UNTO THEM BY AN INTERPRETER._] Either there was a very great difference between the two languages as _then_ spoken, or Joseph, to prevent all suspicion, might affec...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible 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 e...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 42 THE FIRST VISIT OF JOSEPH'S BRETHREN _ 1. Joseph's brethren sent to Egypt (Genesis 42:1)_ 2. Joseph meets his brethren (Genesis 42:6) 3. Put in prison for three days (Genesis 42:17) 4....

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 42. JOSEPH'S BROTHERS COME TO EGYPT TO BUY CORN, AND UNWITTINGLY ENCOUNTER JOSEPH. The greater part is taken from E, but Genesis 42:2; Genesis 42:4_ b_, Genesis 42:5;...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    SPAKE UNTO THEM BY AN INTERPRETER— Not only to keep up an air of majesty, and to strike an awe upon his brethren, but to prevent his being discovered....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. _Joseph as Prime Minister of Egypt_ (Genesis 41:46 to Genesis 47:31) 46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND HE PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO WARD THREE DAYS._ Put them all together into ward three days. Their confinement had been designed to bring them to salutary reflection. And this object was attained...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIRST VISIT OF JOSEPH'S BRETHREN TO EGYPT 1. When Jacob saw] The caravans which travelled from Egypt to Syria would bring the news to Hebron....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 42 JACOB SENDS HIS SONS TO EGYPT V1 Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt. So he said to his sons, ‘You look at each other and you do nothing...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ הֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יֹוסֵ֑ף

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    VISITS OF JOSEPH'S BRETHREN Genesis 42:1; Genesis 43:1; Genesis 44:1 "Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good."-...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SIMEON HELD; THE OTHERS SENT HOME Genesis 42:18 The behavior of this great Egyptian official-for so the brethren deemed him-must have seemed very hard and tyrannical to the trembling shepherds from t...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    According to the foretelling of Joseph in interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, the famine came; but through Joseph's executive ability Egypt was provided with corn sufficient not only for its own needs, but...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    JOSEPH'S BROTHERS BOW BEFORE HIM Jacob heard of the great supply of grain in Egypt. He sent the ten older brothers to buy grain to sustain them. As the grand vizier, Joseph had complete control over t...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Interpreter, to keep them at a greater distance. It does not appear that the sons of Jacob were ignorant of the language of the country. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    How sweet and refreshing the thought, that during all these soul transactions of mixed hope and fear, JESUS is looking on: he sees and knows all, however unconscious we are of it....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 42 THROUGH 47. At the same time another scene presents itself. His brethren, who had rejected him, forced by famine, are brought, by the path of repentance an...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THEY KNEW NOT THAT JOSEPH UNDERSTOOD [THEM],.... For what is above related they spoke in his presence and hearing; but speaking to one another in the Hebrew language, and he being an Egyptian, as...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And they knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. Ver. 23. _Understood them._] Heb., Heard them. See 1 Corinthians 14:2, marg. So Isaiah 36:11. So a hearing h...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He spake by an interpreter_ Joseph's pretending not to understand their language was a wise piece of art, as by that means he discovered their real sentiments, as it appears they spoke to one another...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Iacob sendeth his ten sonnes to buy corne in Egypt. 6 They are imprisoned by Ioseph for spies. 18 They are set at libertie, on condition to bring Beniamin. 21 They haue remorse for Ioseph. 24 Si...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter, who was between him and his brothers and communicated all his commands to them in their own tongue, since Josep...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Simeon Kept Back in Egypt...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SIXTH SECTION _Retributive Discipline. The Famine and the First Journey to Egypt. Joseph’s struggles with himself. The repentance of the Brethren. Joseph and Simeon._ GENESIS 42:1-38. 1Now when Jaco...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB SENDS HIS SONS TO EGYPT The famine reaches to Jacob's land. God makes him and his sons to feel the distress of famine until they hear that Egypt has an abundance of food that is available for s...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    HE SPAKE UNTO THEM BY AN INTERPRETER: _ Heb._ an interpreter was between them...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 no...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    On which we shall dwell more particularly. There is not in scripture a more perfect and beautiful type of Christ than Joseph. Whether we view Christ as the object of the Father's love, the object of t...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 42:23 know H3045 (H8804) Joseph H3130 understood H8085 (H8802) interpreter H3887 (H8688) he spake unto them by an interpreter -...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And they did not know that Joseph understood them for there was an interpreter between them.' Had it not been for this twist in the story we would never have known that Joseph had deliberately been s...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Joseph preserves his brethren from the famine. CHARACTERS: Jacob, Joseph, brothers. CONCLUSION: Times of testing await those who are guilty and often prove the effectual means of awakening...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 42:4. _Benjamin._ Jacob wished to reserve him to be heir of the blessing instead of Joseph, who he thought was dead. Hence he let the ten go, for it is highly probable that the Egyptians would...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 42:1 Shortage of food in Canaan forces Jacob to send his sons to Egypt, but Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother, remains at home, for Jacob fears losing him, too. When Joseph en...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 42:23. Interpreter.] Heb. _The interpreter_—of the court. This official was not necessarily employed in interpreting a foreign tongue. He was the medium through which the pri...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 42:1 NOW WHEN JACOB SAW—literally, _and Jacob saw, i.e._ perceived by the preparations of others for buying corn in Egypt (Lange), but more probably learnt by the report which othe...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    The Pharaoh in Egypt had had two dreams with similarities because they had one interpretation. The first dream involved the seven fat cows grazing by the river and seven lean cows rising up and eating...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    he spake unto them by a interpreter. Heb. an interpreter was John 16:13 John 16:14 2 Corinthians 5:20...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN Genesis 42:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS As we enter the Genesis 42:1 of Genesis we find Jacob and Joseph's brethren under the throes of the famine. As we see it from the Divine view...

Continues after advertising