What does Genesis 43:27 mean?
Some twenty years earlier, a young Joseph dreamt his brothers and entire family would one day bow before him (Genesis 37:5–10). This was one reason the jealous brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:24–28). Over time, Joseph was lifted to become the second most powerful man in the entire nation (Genesis 41:44). When his brothers arrived to buy grain during a famine, they did not recognize him (Genesis 42:8), and Joseph tested them (Genesis 42:14, 19–20). On their second trip, they bring their youngest brother Benjamin, and Joseph's first dream is fulfilled (Genesis 43:26).After Joseph's 11 brothers bow, honoring his position, he immediately asks them about their father. Perhaps a touch eagerly, he inquires if the old father they mentioned (Genesis 42:11) is still alive. It's a valid question. Joseph has been gone from home a long time, and Jacob is very old.