And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Parallel translations
- WEB When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”
- BSB So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
- NKJV And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
- NASB So it came about, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
- NLT When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
With the grain eaten, Jacob tells his sons to buy more food. His command reopens the question of Benjamin.
Overview
Jacob's simple instruction to "buy us a little more food" ignores the condition that Benjamin must come, prompting Judah's response. The exhausted supplies force the family back toward Egypt and toward Joseph. Necessity becomes the means by which God advances the reunion.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Prov 31:16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
- Prov 15:16Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
- Prov 16:18Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
- 1 Tim 5:8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
- 1 Tim 6:6–8But godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Gen 43:20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
- Gen 42:1–2Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
- Gen 43:4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 43:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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