And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
And the man who was the ruler of the country said to us, 'This is how I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your starving families, and go home.'
The writer is recounting how Joseph (disguised as an Egyptian ruler) tested his brothers' honesty by requiring them to leave one brother behind while they returned home with food.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, rose to become a high official in Egypt, managing the country's resources during a widespread famine. Years later, his brothers traveled to Egypt seeking food, unaware that the Egyptian leader they were dealing with was Joseph himself. Joseph used this opportunity to test their integrity by proposing they leave one brother behind as a guarantee while the others took supplies home.
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