Genesis 42:2
◄  Genesis 42:2  ►
New International Version (©2011)
He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."

New Living Translation (©2007)
I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we'll die."

English Standard Version (©2001)
And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Listen," he went on, "I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die."

International Standard Version (©2012)
Pay attention now! I've heard that there is grain in Egypt, so go down there and buy some grain for us, so we can live, instead of dying."

NET Bible (©2006)
He then said, "Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
I've heard there's grain for sale in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so that we won't starve to death."

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down there, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die.

American King James Version
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die.

American Standard Version
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.

Darby Bible Translation
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down thither and buy grain for us from thence, in order that we may live, and not die.

English Revised Version
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: go down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

World English Bible
He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die."

Young's Literal Translation
he saith also, 'Lo, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, go down thither, and buy for us from thence, and we live and do not die;'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

42:1-6 Jacob saw the corn his neighbours had bought in Egypt, and brought home. It is a spur to exertion to see others supplied. Shall others get food for their souls, and shall we starve while it is to be had? Having discovered where help is to be had, we should apply for it without delay, without shrinking from labour, or grudging expense, especially as regards our never-dying souls. There is provision in Christ; but we must come to him, and seek it from him.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - And he said, Behold, I have heard (this does not imply that the rumor had not also reached Jacob's sons, but only that the proposal to visit Egypt did not originate with them) that there is corn - שֶׁבֶר ut supra, σῖτος ( LXX.), triticum (Vulgate) - in Egypt: get you down thither. That Jacob did not, like Abraham (Genesis 12:10)and Isaac (Genesis 26:2), propose to remove his family to Egypt, may be explained either by the length of the journey, which was too great for so large a household, or by the circumstance that the famine prevailed in Egypt as well as Canaan (Gerlach). That he entrusted his sons, and not his servants, with the mission, though perhaps dictated by a sense of its importance (Lawson), was clearly of Divine arrangement for the further accomplishment of the Divine plan concerning Joseph and his brethren. And buy (i.e. buy corn, the verb being a denominative from שֶׁבֶר, corn) for us from thence. From this it is apparent that the hitherto abundant flocks and herds of the patriarchal family had been greatly reduced by the long-continued and severe drought, thus requiring them to obtain food from Egypt, if either any portion of their flocks were to be saved, or themselves to escape starvation, as the patriarch explained to his sons. That we may (literally, and we shall) live, and not die.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said, behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt,.... This explains what is meant by the phrase he saw, one sense being put for another:

get ye down thither; as fast as you can without delay; Egypt lay lower than Canaan, and therefore they are bid to go down, as when they went from thence to Canaan they are said to go up, Genesis 45:25,

and buy for us from thence, that we may live, and not die; which shows the famine was very pressing, since, unless they could buy corn from Egypt they could not live, but must die.

Genesis 42:2 Parallel Commentaries

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Joseph's Brothers Sent to Egypt
1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look one on another? 2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die. 3And Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy corn in Egypt. …

Acts 7:12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.
Genesis 42:3 Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Genesis 43:8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.
Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
Psalm 33:19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.