Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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gives them occasion to speak of their father and brother. Note, God in his providence sometimes seems harsh with those he loves, and speaks roughly to those for whom yet he has great mercy in store.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and
said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy
servants come.
They, hereupon, were very submissive. They spoke to him with all the respect imaginable: Nay, my lord (Ge 42:10)--a great change since they said, Behold, this dreamer comes. They very modestly deny the charge: We are no spies. They tell him their business, that they came to buy food, a justifiable errand, and the same that many strangers came to Egypt upon at this time. They undertake to give a particular account of themselves and their family (Ge 42:13), and this was what they wanted.
11 We are all one man’s sons; we are true men; thy servants are no
spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye
are come.
13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one
man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying,
Ye are spies:
15 hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go
forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be
kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any
truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
He clapped them all up in prison for three days, Ge 42:17. Thus God deals with the souls he designs for special comfort and honour; he first humbles them, and terrifies them, and brings them under a spirit of bondage, and then binds up their wounds by the Spirit of adoption.