Genesis 42:9

42:9 Then Joseph remembered ¹  the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!” ² 

Genesis 42:16

42:16 One of you must go and get ³  your brother, while ⁴  the rest of you remain in prison. ⁵  In this way your words may be tested to see if ⁶  you are telling the truth. ⁷  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

Genesis 42:30-31

42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us ⁸  as if we were ⁹  spying on the land. 42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies!

Genesis 42:34

42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know ¹⁰  that you are honest men and not spies. ¹¹  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” ¹² 

---

¹ sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.

² tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”

³ tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.

⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.

⁵ tn Heb “bound.”

⁶ tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁷ tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”

⁸ tn Heb “made us.”

⁹ tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁰ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

¹¹ tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

¹² 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.