And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
They replied, 'The man questioned us closely about our family situation and our relatives, asking, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We answered him honestly based on what he asked us. How could we have possibly known that he would say, 'Bring your brother here?'
The brothers are explaining that they had no way of knowing Joseph would demand to see Benjamin when they honestly answered his questions about their family.
📚 Historical Context
This verse occurs during a severe famine in the ancient Near East, where Jacob's sons are returning to Egypt to buy grain after their first visit. They are interacting with Joseph, the Egyptian governor whom they do not recognize as their brother sold into slavery years earlier, and he is questioning them about their family to test their honesty and reveal their past actions. This moment is part of the larger biblical narrative of God's providence, leading to the eventual reconciliation of the family.
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