Genesis 42:3
New International Version
Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

New Living Translation
So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

English Standard Version
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

King James Bible
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

New King James Version
So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

New American Standard Bible
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

NASB 1995
Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

NASB 1977
Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Legacy Standard Bible
So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Amplified Bible
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

Christian Standard Bible
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So 10 of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

American Standard Version
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Contemporary English Version
Ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.

English Revised Version
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ten of Joseph's brothers went to buy grain in Egypt.

Good News Translation
So Joseph's ten half brothers went to buy grain in Egypt,

International Standard Version
So ten of Joseph's brothers left to buy grain from Egypt.

Majority Standard Bible
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

NET Bible
So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

New Heart English Bible
So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

World English Bible
Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the ten brothers of Joseph go down to buy grain in Egypt,

Young's Literal Translation
and the ten brethren of Joseph go down to buy corn in Egypt,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joseph's brethren, the ten, will go to buy grain from Egypt.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,

New American Bible
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

New Revised Standard Version
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And so Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And ten brothers of Yoseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the ten brethren of Joseph went down to buy corn out of Egypt.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Brothers Sent to Egypt
2“Look,” he added, “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.” 3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”…

Cross References
Genesis 37:25-28
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. / Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? / Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed. ...

Genesis 43:2-5
So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” / But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ / If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. ...

Genesis 45:4-5
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! / And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Acts 7:11-13
Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. / When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. / On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:56-57
When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. / And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

Genesis 44:1-2
Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack. / Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

Genesis 45:7-8
God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. / Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 46:1-4
So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. / And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “Here I am,” replied Jacob. / “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. ...

Genesis 47:13-15
There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine. / Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace. / When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Genesis 39:1-2
Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. / And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.

Genesis 41:39-41
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. / You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” / Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 45:9-11
Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. / You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. / And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’

Genesis 47:11-12
So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. / Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.


Treasury of Scripture

And Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy corn in Egypt.

Genesis 42:5,13
And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan…

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Buy Corn Egypt Grain Joseph Joseph's Ten
Genesis 42
1. Jacob sends his ten sons to buy grain in Egypt.
16. They are imprisoned by Joseph as spies.
18. They are set at liberty, on condition to bring Benjamin.
21. They have remorse for Joseph.
24. Simeon is kept for a pledge.
25. They return with grain, and their money.
29. Their relation to Jacob.
36. Jacob refuses to send Benjamin.














So ten of Joseph’s brothers
This phrase introduces the action of Joseph's brothers, emphasizing the number "ten." In Hebrew, the word for "ten" is "עֲשָׂרָה" (asarah), which often symbolizes completeness or a quorum in biblical texts. The number ten here is significant as it represents the majority of Jacob's sons, excluding Benjamin, who was kept back by Jacob. This decision reflects Jacob's protective nature over Benjamin, the only remaining son of his beloved wife Rachel, after he believed Joseph to be dead. The brothers' journey marks a pivotal moment in the narrative, setting the stage for the fulfillment of Joseph's earlier dreams and God's providential plan.

went down
The phrase "went down" is translated from the Hebrew "יָרַד" (yarad), which literally means to descend. This is not just a geographical movement from Canaan to Egypt, but also carries a spiritual and emotional connotation. Egypt, often seen as a place of trial and testing in the Bible, represents a descent into a place of potential danger and moral challenge. The brothers' journey "down" to Egypt foreshadows the trials they will face and the eventual redemption and reconciliation that will occur through God's sovereign plan.

to buy grain
The act of buying grain highlights the dire circumstances that have befallen Jacob's family due to the widespread famine. The Hebrew word for "grain" is "שֶׁבֶר" (sheber), which can also mean "provision" or "sustenance." This reflects the physical need driving the brothers' journey, but also hints at a deeper spiritual hunger and need for reconciliation within the family. The famine serves as a catalyst for the unfolding of God's redemptive plan, as it forces the brothers to seek sustenance in Egypt, where they will unknowingly encounter Joseph.

from Egypt
Egypt, in Hebrew "מִצְרַיִם" (Mitzrayim), is a land of both refuge and bondage throughout biblical history. It is a place where God's people often find themselves in times of need, yet it also represents a land of idolatry and oppression. The brothers' journey to Egypt is laden with irony, as it is the very place where they sold Joseph into slavery. This return to Egypt signifies a full circle in God's providential plan, where what was meant for evil will ultimately be used for good (Genesis 50:20). Egypt becomes the backdrop for the unfolding drama of forgiveness, restoration, and the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham's descendants.

(3) Joseph's ten brethren.--Either their cattle and households had been already greatly reduced by the mortality caused by the famine, or each patriarch must have taken a number of servants with him, if the corn carried home was to be enough to be of any real use. We learn, however, that they still possessed flocks and herds when they went down into Egypt (Genesis 47:1), and also households of servants (Genesis 46:5, where see Note). Joseph, moreover, besides the wagons and their contents, sends twenty loads of provisions for the use of his father by the way (Genesis 45:21-23), showing thereby that there were very many mouths to feed. Probably, therefore, there was some small amount of rain in Palestine, though not enough for the support of crops of corn. There would be, however, supplies of milk and flesh, but not much more.

Verse 3. - And Joseph's ten brethren went down - either it was for safety that all the ten went, or because, the corn being sold to individuals, the quantity received would depend on their numbers (Lange) - to buy corn - the word for corn, בָּר, if not a primitive, like the Latin far (Furst), may be derived from בָּרַר, to separate, sever, choose out, hence purify (Aben Ezra, Kimchi, Gesenius), and may describe grain as that which has been cleaned from chaff, as in Jeremiah 4:11 - in (literally, from, i.e. corn to be brought from) Egypt.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So ten
עֲשָׂרָ֑ה (‘ă·śā·rāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 6235: Ten

of Joseph’s
יוֹסֵ֖ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

brothers
אֲחֵֽי־ (’ă·ḥê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 251: A brother, )

went down
וַיֵּרְד֥וּ (way·yê·rə·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to buy
לִשְׁבֹּ֥ר (liš·bōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7666: To deal in grain

grain
בָּ֖ר (bār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1250: Grain, the open country

from Egypt.
מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (mim·miṣ·rā·yim)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa


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OT Law: Genesis 42:3 Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 42:2
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