Genesis 42:15

42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, 1  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Genesis 42:34

42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know 2  that you are honest men and not spies. 3  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” 4 

1 tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”

sn As surely as Pharaoh lives. Joseph uses an oath formula to let the brothers know the certainty of what he said. There is some discussion in the commentaries on swearing by the life of Pharaoh, but since the formulation here reflects the Hebrew practice, it would be hard to connect the ideas exactly to Egyptian practices. Joseph did this to make the point in a way that his Hebrew brothers would understand. See M. R. Lehmann, “Biblical Oaths,” ZAW 81 (1969): 74-92.

2 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

3 tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

4 sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.