Bible Strands
Genesis 43:18
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The brothers speak among themselves immediately after the steward leads them to Joseph’s house, before they later approach him at the entrance.
The words — וַ/יִּֽירְא֣וּ (va/i.yi.re.'U) means "they were afraid," and הֽוּבְאוּ֮ (hu.ve.'U) means "they were brought," recording the brothers’ sudden dread upon entering the estate.
The thread — Their fear of enslavement over the returned silver aligns with the earlier discoveries in Genesis 42:28 and Genesis 42:35, while their guilt over Joseph remains a separate thread in Genesis 42:21.
Why it lands — The text records the brothers’ immediate assumption of hostile intent rather than divine providence, requiring the reader to distinguish between their fearful calculations and the narrative’s actual trajectory.
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
King James Version
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
Cross-references
- Genesis 42:35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
- Genesis 42:21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
- Genesis 42:28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
- Deuteronomy 22:14 and he then accuses her of shameful conduct and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman and had relations with her, but I discovered she was not a virgin.”
- Deuteronomy 22:17 And now he has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ But here is the proof of her virginity.” And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders.
- Judges 13:22 “We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
- Judges 14:4 (Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
- Job 15:21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
- Job 30:14 They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in.
- Psalms 73:16 When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight