Genesis

Genesis 42:16–19

¹⁶Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

¹⁷So Joseph imprisoned them for three days, ¹⁸and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live: ¹⁹If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.

Read all of Genesis 42

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 42:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Send	שִׁלְח֨וּ	šil·ḥū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H7971 send
one	אֶחָד֮	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
of your number	מִכֶּ֣ם	mik·kem	Preposition; second person masculine plural
to get	וְיִקַּ֣ח	wə·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
your brother	אֲחִיכֶם֒	’ă·ḥî·ḵem	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H251 brother
the rest of you	וְאַתֶּם֙	wə·’at·tem	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
will be confined	הֵאָ֣סְר֔וּ	hê·’ā·sə·rū	Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural	H631 tie, bind, imprison
so that the truth	הַֽאֱמֶ֖ת	ha·’ĕ·meṯ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H571 firmness, faithfulness, truth
of your words	דִּבְרֵיכֶ֔ם	diḇ·rê·ḵem	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H1697 speech, word
may be tested	וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙	wə·yib·bā·ḥă·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H974 examine, try
If	וְאִם־	wə·’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
they are untrue	לֹ֕א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
then as surely as Pharaoh	פַרְעֹ֔ה	p̄ar·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh
lives	חֵ֣י	ḥê	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2416 alive, living
you	אַתֶּֽם׃	’at·tem	Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
are spies	מְרַגְּלִ֖ים	mə·rag·gə·lîm	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural	H7270 foot it, go about

Genesis 42:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Joseph imprisoned them	וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף	way·ye·’ĕ·sōp̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H622 gather, remove
for three	שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת	šə·lō·šeṯ	Number - masculine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
days	יָמִֽים׃	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day

Genesis 42:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and on the third	הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י	haš·šə·lî·šî	Article; Number - ordinal masculine singular	H7992 third
day	בַּיּ֣וֹם	bay·yō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to them	אֲלֵהֶ֤ם	’ă·lê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H413 motion to
I	אֲנִ֥י	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
fear	יָרֵֽא׃	yā·rê	Adjective - masculine singular	H3373 fear
God	הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
So do	עֲשׂ֖וּ	‘ă·śū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H6213 do, make
this	זֹ֥את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
and you will live	וִֽחְי֑וּ	wiḥ·yū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H2421 live

Genesis 42:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
you	אַתֶּ֔ם	’at·tem	Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
are honest	כֵּנִ֣ים	kê·nîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H3651 right, veritable, honest
leave one	אֶחָ֔ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
of your brothers in custody	יֵאָסֵ֖ר	yê·’ā·sêr	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H631 tie, bind, imprison
while the rest of you	וְאַתֶּם֙	wə·’at·tem	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine plural	H859 thou
go	לְכ֣וּ	lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H1980 go, come, walk
and take back	הָבִ֔יאוּ	hā·ḇî·’ū	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
grain	שֶׁ֖בֶר	še·ḇer	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7668 corn, grain
to relieve the hunger	רַעֲב֥וֹן	ra·‘ă·ḇō·wn	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7459 hunger, lack of food, famine
of your households	בָּתֵּיכֶֽם׃	bāt·tê·ḵem	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H1004 house

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 42:16 Genesis 42:11

Genesis 42:17 Genesis 40:4 · Genesis 40:7 · Hebrews 12:10

Genesis 42:18 Leviticus 25:43 · Nehemiah 5:15 · Genesis 20:11 · Luke 18:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.