What does Genesis 43:26 mean?
Eleven of Jacob's sons (Genesis 43:1–2) are profusely bowing (Genesis 43:28) before the second most powerful man in Egypt. They don't realize this is their own brother, Joseph (Genesis 42:8), whom they'd sold into slavery twenty years ago (Genesis 37:24–28). That hateful, jealous decision was made in part because of Joseph's dreams. One such dream symbolically depicted the brothers bowing in submission to Joseph (Genesis 37:5–8). This moment is the complete fulfillment of that prophecy.Though they bow, the eleven men are honored guests. Joseph is now a powerful Egyptian ruler (Genesis 41:44) who had previously threatened the ten older brothers as spies (Genesis 42:14). Joseph arrives to share the noon meal with them, and they present to him a gift (Genesis 43:11) of fruit, gum, honey, pistachio nuts, and other local Canaanite goods.
Joseph's second prophetic dream from his youth involved his entire family bowing before him, as well, along with the 11 of them (Genesis 37:9–10). Joseph must be aware that dream is yet to be fulfilled, because he immediately asks about their father in the following verse (Genesis 43:27).