Now Joseph was the vizier of the land; it was he who dispensed rations to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed low to him, with their faces to the ground.
When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to procure food.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
וירא
217
יוסף
156
אתאחיו
426
ויכרם
276
ויתנכר
686
אליהם
86
וידבר
222
אתם
441
קשות
806
ויאמר
257
אלהם
76
מאין
101
באתם
443
ויאמרו
263
מארץ
331
כנען
190
לשבראכל
583
Genesis 42:8
Gematria: 1136
ויכריוסףאתאחיווהםלאהכרהו
For though Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
And they replied, “We your servants were twelve brothers, sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמרו
263
שנים
400
עשר
570
עבדיך
106
אחיםאנחנו
174
בני
62
אישאחד
324
בארץ
293
כנען
190
והנה
66
הקטן
164
אתאבינו
470
היום
61
והאחד
24
איננו
117
Genesis 42:14
Gematria: 2744
ויאמראלהםיוסףהואאשרדברתיאלכםלאמרמרגליםאתם
But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have told you: You are spies!
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
אלהם
76
יוסף
156
הוא
12
אשר
501
דברתי
616
אלכם
91
לאמר
271
מרגלים
323
אתם
441
Genesis 42:15
Gematria: 2224
בזאתתבחנוחיפרעהאםתצאומזהכיאםבבואאחיכםהקטןהנה
By this you shall be put to the test: unless your youngest brother comes here, by Pharaoh, you shall not depart from this place!
Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain confined, that your words may be put to the test whether there is truth in you. Else, by Pharaoh, you are nothing but spies!”
Word-by-Word Analysis
שלחו
344
מכם
100
אחד
13
ויקח
124
אתאחיכם
480
ואתם
447
האסרו
272
ויבחנו
82
דבריכם
276
האמת
446
אתכם
461
ואםלא
78
חי
18
פרעה
355
כי
30
מרגלים
323
אתם
441
Genesis 42:17
Gematria: 2339
ויאסףאתםאלמשמרשלשתימים
And he confined them in the guardhouse for three days.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאסף
157
אתם
441
אלמשמר
611
שלשת
1030
ימים
100
Genesis 42:18
Gematria: 2780
ויאמראלהםיוסףביוםהשלישיזאתעשווחיואתהאלהיםאניירא
On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you shall live, for I fear God.
If you are being honest, let one of your brothers be held in your place of detention, while the rest of you go and take home rations for your starving households;
Word-by-Word Analysis
אםכנים
161
אתם
441
אחיכם
79
אחד
13
יאסר
271
בבית
414
משמרכם
640
ואתם
447
לכו
56
הביאו
24
שבר
502
רעבון
328
בתיכם
472
Genesis 42:20
Gematria: 2850
ואתאחיכםהקטןתביאואליויאמנודבריכםולאתמותוויעשוכן
but you must bring me your youngest brother, that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” And they did accordingly.
They said to one another, “Alas, we are being punished on account of our brother, because we looked on at his anguish, yet paid no heed as he pleaded with us. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, return each one’s money to his sack, and give them provisions for the journey; and this was done for them.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויצו
112
יוסף
156
וימלאו
93
אתכליהם
506
בר
202
ולהשיב
353
כספיהם
215
איש
311
אלשקו
437
ולתת
836
להם
75
צדה
99
לדרך
254
ויעש
386
להם
75
כן
70
Genesis 42:26
Gematria: 2121
וישאואתשברםעלחמריהםוילכומשם
So they loaded their asses with the rations and departed from there.
And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It is here in my bag!” Their hearts sank; and, trembling, they turned to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
אלאחיו
56
הושב
313
כספי
170
וגם
49
הנה
60
באמתחתי
861
ויצא
107
לבם
72
ויחרדו
234
איש
311
אלאחיו
56
לאמר
271
מהזאת
453
עשה
375
אלהים
86
לנו
86
Genesis 42:29
Gematria: 2725
ויבאואליעקבאביהםארצהכנעןויגידולואתכלהקרתאתםלאמר
When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had befallen them, saying,
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויבאו
25
אליעקב
213
אביהם
58
ארצה
296
כנען
190
ויגידו
39
לו
36
את
401
כלהקרת
755
אתם
441
לאמר
271
Genesis 42:30
Gematria: 4109
דברהאישאדניהארץאתנוקשותויתןאתנוכמרגליםאתהארץ
“The man The man More precisely, “the participant [whose involvement defines the depicted situation].” See the Dictionary under ’ish. who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the land.
Word-by-Word Analysis
דבר
206
האיש
316
אדני
65
הארץ
296
אתנו
457
קשות
806
ויתן
466
אתנו
457
כמרגלים
343
אתהארץ
697
Genesis 42:31
Gematria: 1014
ונאמראליוכניםאנחנולאהיינומרגלים
We said to him, ‘We are being honest; we have never been spies!
But the man—who is lord of the land—said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are being honest: leave one of your brothers with me, and take something for your starving households and be off.
And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know that you are not spies, that you are being honest. I will then restore your brother to you, and you shall be free to move about in the land.’”
Their father Jacob said to them, “It is always me that you bereave: Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you would take away Benjamin. These things always happen to me!”
But he said, “My son must not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If he meets with disaster on the journey you are taking, you will send my white head down to Sheol in grief.”