Genesis 42:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

NIV: Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

NASB: But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.

CSB: Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

NLT: Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him.

KJV: And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

NKJV: So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

Joseph's brothers have aged at least two decades since he last saw them. He was seventeen when they sold him as a slave (Genesis 37:2, 28), thirty when he rose to power in Egypt (Genesis 41:46–47, 53–54), and he has governed the nation for more than seven years (Genesis 41:53–54). Had Joseph seen just one of his brothers, he might not have known who he was, at first. But he had the advantage of seeing them all together. These were the faces of his long-lost family; they are also the faces of his betrayers.

The brothers don't recognize Joseph, however. That is no surprise. Not only has he aged from seventeen to nearly forty, but he has also adapted the fashion and appearance of Egyptian royalty, including an Egyptian name, wife, and sons (Genesis 41:42–43, 50–52). He speaks Egyptian (Genesis 42:23).

At first, Joseph chooses to maintain his secret (Genesis 42:7). This is partly to contain his own emotions (Genesis 42:24). It's likely due to a well-justified sense of anger, as well. It is also to allow for the brothers to be tested, as the following chapters explain.

Genesis 42:1–17 contains the unlikeliest of reunions: that between Joseph and his ten oldest brothers (Genesis 37:28). They have been sent by Jacob to Egypt to buy grain during a terrible famine (Genesis 41:53–54). They don't recognize their brother, now an Egyptian ruler. Joseph knows them but keeps the secret; he responds harshly to avoid breaking the illusion. He then puts them in prison for three days, saying they might be spies. All the while, he has a plan in mind.

Genesis 42 describes the moment Joseph sees his brothers for the first time since they sold him into slavery over 20 years earlier. They have come to Egypt to buy grain, and they do not recognize him. He keeps his secret, speaking roughly to them and hinting they may be spies. He allows them to leave only if they promise to return with their youngest brother Benjamin. He keeps Simeon as collateral but sends them off with full sacks of grain for their family. He also secretly returns their money, something they are terrified to discover on the way home. Back in Canaan, Jacob responds to this terrible news with bitterness and vindictive blame.

Twenty years prior to the events of this chapter, Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:28). Miraculously, Joseph is now the governor of the nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:44). His brothers, who know nothing of Joseph's fate, have come to buy food during a terrible famine (Genesis 41:56–57). Joseph, probably and justifiably angry at his brothers, keeps his identity a secret, at first. Over the next several chapters, he will test, challenge, and chasten them. Yet there is no revenge involved; everything Joseph does furthers a long-term goal of rescuing the family from starvation.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.