Cereal was of vital importance in those days: not only was it essential for the animals, but was also the main food of the people, since it contained all the necessary nutrition and could be dried and stored for much longer than vegetables, dairy products or meat. It was so valuable that in some places it was used as currency.
The drought came to the land of Canaan, and Jacob, knowing that there was grain in Egypt, sent ten of his sons to buy what they needed in Egypt, rather than stand still looking at each other, waiting for something to happen.
The youngest son, Benjamin, was not with them because Jacob was afraid of something bad happening to them on the road. Benjamin was, he thought, the sole survivor of his beloved wife Rachel, and he had certainly taken the place of Joseph in his affection.
Like everyone else, when they arrived in Egypt they were required to have an interview with the governor general to negotiate the purchase. Humbly, they bowed down before that powerful character with their faces to the earth.
Joseph recognized them immediately, but, remembering how they had hated and been very cruel to him, he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them (the Egyptians treated the Jews badly - 43:32) in the Egyptian language through an interpreter (v. 23).
His brothers did not recognize Joseph: they already imagined that he would be dead, because slaves didn´t survive very long the mistreatment they received; in addition, nearly twenty years had gone by, and Joseph was shaved and dressed like an Egyptian, spoke as the Egyptians, and was in such a high position in that world they would never dream of finding him there.
Seeing his brothers prostrate before him, Joseph remembered the dreams he had about them (chapter 37:5-10), which were now being fulfilled. But he controlled himself well, and wisely decided to test them first before telling them who he really was.
Accusing them of being spies, Joseph placed them in a defensive position, having to defend themselves lest they be condemned to death. Because of his plenipotentiary position, Joseph was both prosecutor and judge.
In their defence, they said they were honest men, not knowing it was precisely their honesty that Joseph doubted and wanted to check because he knew them before as criminals and liars.
They also declared that they were sons of one man, originally twelve, the youngest of which was with their father and the other no longer existed (Joseph must have laughed to himself when he heard this.)
Anxious to see his brother Benjamin again, and perhaps to ascertain that they were not also treating him badly as they had treated him, Joseph kept insisting that they were spies, unless they proved to be true what they were saying: they were to choose one of them to fetch their younger brother, and the others would be imprisoned until the evidence was obtained. And to increase their fear, he put them in jail for three days.
Joseph met them again on the third day, and softened his demand, so they might live, declaring that he feared God.
He probably reflected that it was not necessary to be so severe with his brothers, that the road was long and dangerous and if only one of his brothers went to fetch Benjamin the risk would be great. They needed the provisions for their families, and it would be more prudent to let nine go, leaving only one behind. Their loyalty towards the one left behind would also be proved in this way.
In those days there would have been other people besides the family of Jacob who feared God, but the Egyptians and Canaanites were idolaters, having many gods. The statement of Joseph should have aroused the curiosity of his brothers, but apparently they were not attentive or not interested in "religion." Joseph lost no opportunity to mention his God, whom he feared and obeyed. His brothers could expect to be treated fairly because of this.
So instead of being left with nine prisoners, as he determined before, Joseph now conceded to detain only one of them as hostage, and the others returned to their homes, bringing the provisions that they had come to buy. Then, not to die, they should return bringing along their younger brother as proof of their honesty. They were willing to do what Joseph demanded.
They remembered what they had done to Joseph, admitting among themselves their guilt and remorse as they recalled his anguish when he pleaded in vain with them as they talked of killing him, then proceeded to sell him into slavery. Reuben reminded them that he had warned them against what they did against the boy and now they were going to have to pay for the blood of Joseph.
Joseph heard and understood what they were saying, unbeknownst to them, and turned away to hide his emotions. Then he took Simeon away from them as hostage and bound him before their eyes. Simeon was the second son of Jacob, who had led the massacre of Shechem, with Levi (chapter 34:25). The choice was probably of his brothers, and we do not know why Simeon was chosen.
Joseph generously gave a command to his servants to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey, but his brothers did not know it. They left, but when at their encampment on the journey back one of them found his money in his sack, they were all terrified for they did not know the reason, and thought it was God´s judgment on them and something terrible was likely to happen: for example, would they be accused of theft by that fierce ruler of Egypt?
Returning home, they told their father all that had happened. They then emptied their sacks, and found to their surprise that each man´s bundle of money was in his sack. Then they were all afraid, with their father.
Poor Jacob, now very old, had to face another crisis in his life because of his sons. He plunged into pessimism, reflecting that (as he thought) Joseph no longer existed; Simeon was not with him anymore, and now they wanted to take away his beloved Benjamin.
His eldest son, Reuben, eager to return to Egypt and deliver his brother, said Jacob could kill his two sons if he did not bring back Benjamin.He was evidently sure it would work. But Jacob was not willing to risk it. He said he would die of sadness if any calamity were to befall Benjamin along the way.
1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"
2 And he said, "Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die."
3 So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "Lest some calamity befall him."
5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.
7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, "Where do you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."
8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!"
10 And they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies."
12 But he said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land."
13 And they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more."
14 But Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!'
15 In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!"
17 So he put them all together in prison three days.
18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God:
19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so.
21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us."
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us."
23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.
24 And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them.
26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.
27 But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack.
28 So he said to his brothers, "My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!" Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, "What is this that God has done to us?"
29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying:
30 "The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.'
33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone.
34 And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.' "
35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me."
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you."
38 But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave."
Genesis chapter 42