Genesis 42:27

At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes the brothers' departure from Egypt, focusing on the moment one brother stops at their nighttime lodging to prepare his donkey's feed.

The words — The Hebrew verb וַ/יִּפְתַּ֨ח (va/i.yif.Tach) means "and he opened," paired with אֶת\־ שַׂקּ֗/וֹ (et- sa.K/o), literally "his sack," marking the physical act that precedes the discovery.

The thread — This lodging-place discovery is recounted by the brothers in Genesis 43:21 and later triggers the official sack inspection in Genesis 44:11, while the theme of divine intervention at a stopping point parallels Exodus 4:24.

Why it lands — The text first states the factual finding of returned silver before noting the brothers' fearful reaction, requiring the reader to track how mundane travel routines expose hidden financial reversals without supplying theological commentary.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּפְתַּ֨חva/i.yif.Tachand/ he opened הָאֶחָ֜דha./'e.Chadthe/ one אֶת־'et-<obj.>שַׂקּ֗וֹsa.K/osack/ his לָתֵ֥תla./Tetto/ give מִסְפּ֛וֹאmis.Po'fodder לַחֲמֹר֖וֹla./cha.mo.R/oto/ donkey/ his בַּמָּל֑וֹןba./ma.Lonat the/ lodging place וַיַּרְא֙va/i.yaR'and/ he saw אֶת־'et-<obj.>כַּסְפּ֔וֹkas.P/osilver/ his וְהִנֵּה־ve./hi.neh-and/ there!ה֖וּאhu'it בְּפִ֥יbe./Fi[was] in/ [the] mouth of אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃'am.tach.T/osack/ his

King James Version

And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.

Cross-references

Exodus 4:24 Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
Genesis 43:21 But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
Genesis 44:11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 10:34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.