They discover their money on the journey, foreshadowing the mercy and grace soon to emerge.
“As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.” (Genesis 42:27)
In this moment, Joseph’s brothers are traveling home from Egypt, having just purchased grain during a severe famine. Historically, this journey would have taken place around the early 1800s BC, with the brothers returning to the land of Canaan. The “lodging place” would have been a stopover point along the ancient trade route, where weary travelers and their animals could find rest. As the verse describes, “one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder” (v.27), and to his shock, he discovered the payment for the grain still in his bag. This unexpected find foreshadows the inner turmoil that will arise, because it could be seen as theft and make them appear guilty before Egypt’s powerful second-in-command—Joseph, their very own brother whom they had betrayed years before.
The phrase, “he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack” (v.27), underscores the divine orchestration at work and hints at Joseph’s forgiving but shrewd testing of his family. Although Joseph had risen to a prominent position in Egypt, he used this ruse to examine his brothers’ hearts and their sense of responsibility (Genesis 42:6 - see also how Joseph was sold into Egypt and later elevated by God, as referenced in Acts 7:9). Finding the money in their sacks instilled immediate fear, since it looked as though they had failed to pay for their purchase and were returning home with both the grain and the silver.
Beyond the immediate tension, this event reveals how God can use such trials to reconcile broken relationships and expose true motives. The fear of appearing dishonest forced the brothers to deal honestly with one another and with their aging father Jacob. In time, they would be confronted by Joseph himself, and the family wounds would be healed through forgiveness. Just as Joseph was once rejected but later became the instrument of physical salvation for his family, Jesus too was despised yet ultimately became the spiritual Savior for all who believe (see parallels in Matthew 21:42 and Romans 11:26).
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Genesis 42:27 meaning
“As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.” (Genesis 42:27)
In this moment, Joseph’s brothers are traveling home from Egypt, having just purchased grain during a severe famine. Historically, this journey would have taken place around the early 1800s BC, with the brothers returning to the land of Canaan. The “lodging place” would have been a stopover point along the ancient trade route, where weary travelers and their animals could find rest. As the verse describes, “one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder” (v.27), and to his shock, he discovered the payment for the grain still in his bag. This unexpected find foreshadows the inner turmoil that will arise, because it could be seen as theft and make them appear guilty before Egypt’s powerful second-in-command—Joseph, their very own brother whom they had betrayed years before.
The phrase, “he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack” (v.27), underscores the divine orchestration at work and hints at Joseph’s forgiving but shrewd testing of his family. Although Joseph had risen to a prominent position in Egypt, he used this ruse to examine his brothers’ hearts and their sense of responsibility (Genesis 42:6 - see also how Joseph was sold into Egypt and later elevated by God, as referenced in Acts 7:9). Finding the money in their sacks instilled immediate fear, since it looked as though they had failed to pay for their purchase and were returning home with both the grain and the silver.
Beyond the immediate tension, this event reveals how God can use such trials to reconcile broken relationships and expose true motives. The fear of appearing dishonest forced the brothers to deal honestly with one another and with their aging father Jacob. In time, they would be confronted by Joseph himself, and the family wounds would be healed through forgiveness. Just as Joseph was once rejected but later became the instrument of physical salvation for his family, Jesus too was despised yet ultimately became the spiritual Savior for all who believe (see parallels in Matthew 21:42 and Romans 11:26).