Bible Commentaries
Go deeper in Scripture
Browse trusted public-domain commentary alongside DiscipleDeck Bible study. References inside each commentary open Bible previews in place.
35,156 commentary entries
All active commentary sources
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 42:38
And he (i.e. Jacob) said, My son shall not go down with you;—not because he could not trust Reuben after the sin described in Genesis 35:22 (Wordsworth), or because he could not assent to Reuben's proposal (Ainsworth),…
Matthew Henry on Genesis 43:1-14
Jacob urges his sons to go and buy a little food; now, in time of dearth, a little must suffice. Judah urges that Benjamin should go with them. It is not against the honour and duty children owe their parents, humbly to…
Jacob Unwilling to Part with Benjamin. (b. c. 1707.)
JACOB UNWILLING TO PART WITH BENJAMIN. (B. C. 1707.) Here, 1. Jacob urges his sons to go and buy more corn in Egypt, Genesis 43:1-2. The famine continued; and the corn they had bought was all spent, for it is meat that…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:1-34
EXPOSITION Genesis 43:1, Genesis 43:2 And the famine was sore (literally, was heavy) in the land (sc. of Canaan). And it came to pass, when they had eaten up—literally, had finished to eat up, i.e. not nearly (Mercerus,…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:1-34
Lessons of life. I. The chief lesson of this chapter is the MINGLING TOGETHER OF THE PROVIDENTIAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD WITH HIS PURPOSE OF GRACE. It was part of the Divine plan that Jacob and his family should be settled f…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:1-34
The second visit of Joseph's brethren to Egypt. I. The. SCENE IN JACOB'S HOUSE AT HEBRON (Genesis 43:1-15). 1. The second journey proposed. "Go again, buy us a little food." It was necessitated by the long continuance o…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:3
And Judah spake unto him, saying,—Judah now becomes the spokesman, either because Reuben's entreaty had been rejected, and Levi, who followed Reuben and Simeon in respect of age, had forfeited his father's confidence th…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:6
And Israel said,—this is the second time that Jacob is so designated in the history of Joseph, the first time being in Genesis 37:1-36; which recites the sad account of Joseph's disappearance from the family circle. The…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:7
And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? Though not appearing in the preceding narrative of the historian (Genesis 42:13, Gene…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:8-10
And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me (Benjamin, though styled a lad, must have been at this time upwards of twenty years of age), and we will arise and go; that we may (literally, and we shall) li…
Joseph's Brethren Again Sent to Egypt. (b. c. 1707.)
JOSEPH'S BRETHREN AGAIN SENT TO EGYPT. (B. C. 1707.) Observe here, I. Jacob's persuasibleness. He would be ruled by reason, though they were his inferiors that urged it. He saw the necessity of the case; and, since ther…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:11
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now (literally, if so now), do this; take of the best fruits in the land (literally, of the song of the land, i.e. of its choicest and most praised productions) i…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:12
And take double money (literally, money of a second, i.e. of the same, amount; not twice as much as the first time, but simply as much as the first time) in your hand; and the money that was brought again (or returned)…
Matthew Henry on Genesis 43:15-25
Jacob's sons went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If we should ever know what a famine of the word means, let us not think it much to travel as far for spiritual food, as they did for bodily food. Joseph's…
Joseph Entertains His Brethren. (b. c. 1707.)
JOSEPH ENTERTAINS HIS BRETHREN. (B. C. 1707.) Jacob's sons, having got leave to take Benjamin with them, were observant of the orders their father had given them, and went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:15
And the men took that present (which Jacob had specified), and they took double money (literally, a doubling of the money, i.e. the first money, and as much again for the new purchase; the phrase is different from that…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:16
And when (literally, and) Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he literally, and he) said to the ruler of his house,—literally, to him who was over his house, i.e. the steward (cf. Genesis 24:2; Genesis 39:4; Genesis 44:1)—Br…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:18
Distrust the fruit of sin. Why should they be afraid? The invitation was an honor not unusual. Abraham was received at Pharaoh's court (Genesis 12:15). And the brethren were evidently people of large possessions with a…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:19-22
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house (literally, the man who was over Joseph's house), and they communed (or spake) with him at the door of the house (i.e. before they entered), and said, O sir,—literally…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:23
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God (Elohim), and the God of your father,—an indication that Joseph's steward had been taught to fear and trust the God of the Hebrews (Wordsworth, Murphy)—hath given you tre…
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:24
And the man (Joseph's steward) brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet (of. Genesis 18:4; Genesis 24:32); and he gave their asses provender.
The Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 43:25
And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. This must have been communicated to them after they had entered Joseph's palace, since they had obviously not…
Matthew Henry on Genesis 43:26-34
Observe the great respect Joseph's brethren paid to him. Thus were Joseph's dreams more and more fulfilled. Joseph showed great kindness to them. He treated them nobly; but see here the early distance between Jews and g…
Matthew Henry on Genesis 43:26-34
Here is, I. The great respect that Joseph's brethren paid to him. When they brought him the present, they bowed themselves before him (Genesis 43:26); and again, when they gave him an account of their father's health, t…