Genesis 42:31
New International Version
But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

New Living Translation
But we said, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

English Standard Version
But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies.

Berean Standard Bible
But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

King James Bible
And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

New King James Version
But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

New American Standard Bible
But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

NASB 1995
“But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

NASB 1977
“But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

Legacy Standard Bible
So we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

Amplified Bible
But we told him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

Christian Standard Bible
But we told him, ‘We are honest and not spies.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But we told him: We are honest and not spies.

American Standard Version
And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

Contemporary English Version
But we told him, "We're honest men, not spies.

English Revised Version
And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But we said to him, 'We're honest men, not spies.

Good News Translation
'We are not spies,' we answered, 'we are honest men.

International Standard Version
But we told him, 'No! We're honest men! We're not spies!

Majority Standard Bible
But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

NET Bible
But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies!

New Heart English Bible
But we said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.

Webster's Bible Translation
And we said to him, We are true men; we are no spies:

World English Bible
We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and we say to him, We [are] right men, we have not been spies,

Young's Literal Translation
and we say unto him, We are right men, we have not been spies,

Smith's Literal Translation
And we shall say to him, We are true; we were not spying;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.

New American Bible
But we said to him: ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies.

New Revised Standard Version
But we said to him, ‘We are honest men, we are not spies.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But we said to him, We are pious men; we are not spies;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And we were saying to him, “We are just and we are not spies:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And we said to him, We are men of peace, we are not spies.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’…

Cross References
Genesis 37:5-11
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. / He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: / We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” ...

Genesis 44:19-20
My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ / And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

Genesis 43:7
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

Genesis 45:3-5
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. / 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 50:15-21
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.” / So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, / ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. ...

Exodus 1:10
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

Exodus 20:16
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Numbers 32:23
But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

Deuteronomy 19:16-19
If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. / The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, ...

1 Samuel 24:9
and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?

2 Kings 5:25-27
When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Gehazi, where have you been?” “Your servant did not go anywhere,” he replied. / But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? / Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

Psalm 120:2-3
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. / What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue?

Proverbs 12:19
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Proverbs 19:5
A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.

Isaiah 29:21
those who indict a man with a word, who ensnare the mediator at the gate, and who with false charges deprive the innocent of justice.


Treasury of Scripture

And we said to him, We are true men; we are no spies:

true.

Genesis 42:11
We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

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Designs Evil Honest Right Spies True. Upright
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Designs Evil Honest Right Spies True. Upright
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.














But we told him
This phrase indicates a direct communication and a defense of character. The Hebrew root for "told" is "נָגַד" (nagad), which means to declare or make known. This suggests a moment of transparency and honesty from Joseph's brothers as they attempt to clarify their intentions. Historically, this reflects the cultural importance of verbal declarations in ancient Near Eastern societies, where spoken words held significant weight in establishing truth and trust.

We are honest men
The assertion of being "honest men" is crucial. The Hebrew word for "honest" is "כֵּנִים" (kenim), which implies integrity and truthfulness. This claim is ironic given the brothers' past deceit towards Joseph. It highlights a moment of self-perception and perhaps a desire for redemption. In a broader scriptural context, this statement challenges the reader to consider the nature of honesty and integrity, especially when juxtaposed with past actions.

not spies
The denial of being "spies" is significant in the narrative. The Hebrew word for "spies" is "מְרַגְּלִים" (meraglim), which refers to those who scout or gather information covertly. In the historical context of ancient Egypt, espionage was a serious accusation, often leading to severe consequences. This denial underscores the brothers' fear and desperation to prove their innocence. It also serves as a narrative device to test their character and sincerity, as Joseph, who knows their true identity, observes their responses.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But we told
וַנֹּ֥אמֶר (wan·nō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

him,
אֵלָ֖יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

‘We
אֲנָ֑חְנוּ (’ă·nā·ḥə·nū)
Pronoun - first person common plural
Strong's 587: We

are
הָיִ֖ינוּ (hā·yî·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

honest men,
כֵּנִ֣ים (kê·nîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

spies.
מְרַגְּלִֽים׃ (mə·rag·gə·lîm)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7270: To walk along, to reconnoiter, to be a, tale-bearer, to lead about


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OT Law: Genesis 42:31 We said to him 'We are honest (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 42:30
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