Suppose someone betrayed you and caused you great financial problems where you lost nearly all your possessions. You later recovered and became quite wealthy. After becoming wealthy, you learned that the person who had earlier harmed you was now very poor and nearly starving. How would you feel? What would you do? Why?Joseph’s story in Genesis 42–45 is much like the situation just described. His story should cause us to think about how we deal with those who have wronged us. As we read, we might also look at the story from the point of view of those who did wrong. How were they given the opportunity to change, and how does the Lord give us similar opportunities? Look for these ideas as you read chapters 42–45.
Understanding the Scriptures
Genesis 42
| Lest peradventure mischief befall him (v. 4) | Because something bad might happen to him | |
| Made himself strange unto them (v. 7) | Did not tell them who he was | |
| Nakedness of the land (vv. 9, 12) | How little food is able to grow (implying that Joseph’s brothers came to see if the Egyptians were weak because of the lack of food) | |
| One is not (vv. 13, 32) | One is dead | |
| Hereby (vv. 15, 33) | In this way | |
| Hence (v. 15) | Back home | |
| Hither (v. 15) | Here | |
| Into ward (v. 17) | Under arrest | |
| Bound (v. 19) | Kept | |
| Verified (v. 20) | Proved true | |
| Verily (v. 21) | Truly | |
| Anguish (v. 21) | Pain | |
| Besought (v. 21) | Begged for mercy | |
| Distress (v. 21) | Punishment | |
| His blood is required (v. 22) | We will be held responsible for what we did to him | |
| Communed (v. 24) | Talked | |
| Provision, provender (vv. 25–26) | Food | |
| Laded (v. 26) | Loaded | |
| Espied (v. 27) | Saw | |
| Befell, befall (vv. 29, 38) | Happened | |
| Traffick (v. 34) | Buy and sell | |
| Bereaved (v. 36) | Taken away | |
| Mischief (v. 38) | Something bad |
Studying the Scriptures
Do activity A as you study Genesis 42.
What Was Happening to Joseph’s Brothers?
“Remorse and deep sorrow then are preliminary to repentance. …
“… Suffering is a very important part of repentance. One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 87–88).
Considering President Spencer W. Kimball’s statement above on repentance, find and write about things in Genesis 42 that show how Joseph’s brothers were beginning the process of repentance for what they did to him. Continue to look for these as you read Genesis 43–44.
