This verse emphasizes the brothers’ unknowing plea for survival, the hidden identity of Joseph, and the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan through humble submission and ultimate reconciliation.
Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.” (v.10). At this point in Genesis 42, Joseph’s brothers have traveled from Canaan to Egypt in search of grain during a severe famine. Standing before Joseph—whom they do not recognize—they address him with respect by calling him “my lord.” Their insistence that they have simply come to purchase food highlights their desperation, but also their ignorance of the true identity of the Egyptian official in front of them. Egypt sits in the fertile Nile River region of northeastern Africa, and during this historical period (circa early 19th century BC), it possessed advanced agricultural and administrative systems that allowed it to store massive food reserves.
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob (later renamed Israel), was sold into slavery by these same brothers many years prior (Genesis 37). Through God’s providence, Joseph rose to become second in command under Pharaoh. Here, in Genesis 42, he is testing his brothers’ character and sincerity, having ultimate authority over the grain they so desperately need. Joseph eventually reveals himself to them, mirroring his life’s broader theme as a type of Christ, a Suffering Servant who saves others through his trials. Historically, Joseph’s lifespan falls around the early second millennium BC, placing him in the patriarchal era and making this event pivotal to the continuity of God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When the brothers say, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food,” (v.10), it not only underscores their humility but also foreshadows the moment they will come to realize they are bowing before the very sibling they betrayed. Their fear of being labeled as spies demonstrates how guilt, desperation, and familial bonds all converge in Joseph’s divine journey. In doing so, this passage also illumines God’s sovereignty in weaving redemption through estranged relationships—a pattern that finds ultimate expression in Jesus Christ, who was unrecognized by many of His own people at first (John 1:10-11).
Set to dark mode
Genesis 42:10 meaning
Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.” (v.10). At this point in Genesis 42, Joseph’s brothers have traveled from Canaan to Egypt in search of grain during a severe famine. Standing before Joseph—whom they do not recognize—they address him with respect by calling him “my lord.” Their insistence that they have simply come to purchase food highlights their desperation, but also their ignorance of the true identity of the Egyptian official in front of them. Egypt sits in the fertile Nile River region of northeastern Africa, and during this historical period (circa early 19th century BC), it possessed advanced agricultural and administrative systems that allowed it to store massive food reserves.
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob (later renamed Israel), was sold into slavery by these same brothers many years prior (Genesis 37). Through God’s providence, Joseph rose to become second in command under Pharaoh. Here, in Genesis 42, he is testing his brothers’ character and sincerity, having ultimate authority over the grain they so desperately need. Joseph eventually reveals himself to them, mirroring his life’s broader theme as a type of Christ, a Suffering Servant who saves others through his trials. Historically, Joseph’s lifespan falls around the early second millennium BC, placing him in the patriarchal era and making this event pivotal to the continuity of God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When the brothers say, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food,” (v.10), it not only underscores their humility but also foreshadows the moment they will come to realize they are bowing before the very sibling they betrayed. Their fear of being labeled as spies demonstrates how guilt, desperation, and familial bonds all converge in Joseph’s divine journey. In doing so, this passage also illumines God’s sovereignty in weaving redemption through estranged relationships—a pattern that finds ultimate expression in Jesus Christ, who was unrecognized by many of His own people at first (John 1:10-11).