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Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."
Verse Takeaways
1
A Test, Not Revenge
Commentators unanimously agree that Joseph's rough treatment of his brothers was not motivated by revenge. Instead, they explain it as a necessary test. Joseph needed to discover if his brothers had repented of their past cruelty and to gauge their character, especially their feelings toward his full brother, Benjamin, before revealing himself and enacting God's larger plan of reconciliation.
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Genesis
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5
18th Century
Presbyterian
שׁבר sheber — “fragment, crumb, hence, grain.” בר bar — “pure,” “winnowed,” hence, “corn” (grain).
ש…
19th Century
Anglican
Joseph ... spake roughly unto them. —Joseph has been accused of harshness in his treatment of his brothers, and still mor…
16th Century
Protestant
He made himself strange unto them. It may be asked for what purpose Joseph thus tormented his brothers with threats and terror. For if he …
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
And Joseph saw his brethren among those that came to buy corn, and when they prostrated themselves before him:
Joseph was hard on his brothers, not from a spirit of revenge, but to bring them to repentance. Not seeing his brother Benjamin, he suspected that …
