Question 1

Why does Jacob send his sons to Egypt but keep Benjamin at home?

Accepted Answer

Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt because there is grain there during a hard famine, and he knows the family will die if they do nothing. He keeps Benjamin at home because Benjamin is the other son of his beloved Rachel, and after losing Joseph he is deeply afraid of losing Benjamin too. His fear shows how much past loss still shapes him. It also sets up the story so that Joseph can test whether the brothers will treat Benjamin the way they once treated him.

Question 2

Why does Joseph speak roughly and accuse his brothers of being spies?

Accepted Answer

When Joseph sees his brothers bow before him, he remembers his dreams and knows God has brought them to him. He speaks roughly and accuses them of being spies, not to take revenge, but to test them. By pressing them, he learns about his father and Benjamin and puts their hearts under pressure. This testing brings their old sin into the open and starts them on the path of owning what they did. God sometimes uses hard situations like this to wake up sleepy consciences.

Question 3

What does “we are verily guilty concerning our brother” show about the brothers?

Accepted Answer

Their words show that their conscience was not dead, even after many years. As they sit in distress, they finally connect their trouble in Egypt with how they once treated Joseph. They remember his cries, their hard hearts, and how they would not listen. They see their current suffering as a kind of payback for that cruelty. This is the beginning of real repentance, when people stop making excuses, admit what they did, and accept that God is right to deal with them.

Question 4

What does Joseph mean when he says, “I fear God”?

Accepted Answer

When Joseph says, “I fear God,” he is telling his brothers that he lives under God’s eye and will act with fairness, even though he has great power. He changes the terms of their test so that only one brother stays in prison, and the rest can carry grain home. His fear of God keeps him from abusing his authority and shows that true respect for God shapes how we treat others. It also hints that, behind his rough manner, there is mercy at work toward his brothers.

Question 5

Why does Joseph turn away and weep when hearing his brothers talk?

Accepted Answer

Joseph understands everything they say, though they think he needs an interpreter. When he hears them admit their guilt and recall his suffering, it breaks his heart. He turns away and weeps because he still loves them, feels the pain of the past, and sees that God is softening them. His tears show that, even while he is testing them and seems harsh, his attitude is not cold. This gives a picture of how God can both confront sin and yet feel deep compassion for those He is bringing back.

Question 6

Why is Simeon bound and kept in Egypt while the others return home?

Accepted Answer

Joseph first puts all the brothers in prison for three days, then changes the plan so that only one stays while the others take grain home. He chooses Simeon and binds him in front of them. This serves as a strong warning about their past sin and a way to make sure they come back with Benjamin, as Joseph demanded. Keeping Simeon there keeps the pressure on their conscience and on their promise. It is both a form of discipline and part of Joseph’s careful plan toward later reconciliation.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s providence in hard times?

Accepted Answer

This story shows that God can work through famine, fear, and family trouble to carry out His good purposes. A famine forces Jacob’s sons to Egypt, where Joseph has been placed in power years earlier. What once looked like pure loss in Joseph’s life now becomes the way God feeds many people and starts to heal a broken family. The brothers think only of danger and blame, but behind it all God is guiding events. It reminds us that God may be quietly working for good in situations that feel harsh and confusing.

Question 8

How can this passage about Joseph and his brothers apply to my life today?

Accepted Answer

This passage invites you to think about your own past wrongs and how you respond when trouble comes. The brothers only face their sin when hardship presses them, and many people are the same. You can let hard times drive you to honest self-examination instead of bitterness. Joseph’s fear of God and hidden mercy also give an example for how to use any power you have: with justice and kindness. And Jacob’s fear for Benjamin shows how old wounds can shape us, pointing to our need for God’s care in our family hurts.

Genesis 42:1

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

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Genesis 42:1

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

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Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

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