Genesis 42 · Verse 21

Genesis 42:21

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
Genesis 42:21, King James Version

Genesis 42:21 in other translations

BSBThen 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.”
WEBThey said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”
ASVAnd they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
YLTAnd they say one unto another, ‘Verily we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, in his making supplication unto us, and we did not hearken: therefore hath this distress come upon us.'
DARBYThen they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is come upon us.
BBEAnd they said to one another, Truly, we did wrong to our brother, for we saw his grief of mind, and we did not give ear to his prayers; that is why this trouble has come on us.
WebsterAnd they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

What does Genesis 42:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 42:17-24

17-24. put them ... into ward three days--Their confinement had been designed to bring them to salutary reflection. And this object was attained, for they looked upon the retributive justice of God as now pursuing them in that foreign land. The drift of their conversation is one of the most striking instances on record of the power of conscience [Ge 42:21, 22].

Read the full comment on Genesis 42:17-24 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 We are verily guilty - How finely are the office and influence of conscience exemplified in these words! It was about twenty-two years since they had sold their brother, and probably their conscience had been lulled asleep to the present hour. God combines and brings about those favorable circumstances which produce attention and reflection, and give weight to the expostulations of conscience. How necessary to hear its voice in time, for here it may be the instrument of salvation; but if not heard in this world, it must be heard in the next; and there, in association with the unquenchable fire, it will be the never-dying worm. Reader, has not thy sin as yet found thee out? Pray to God to take away the veil from thy heart, and give thee that deep sense of guilt which shall oblige thee to flee for refuge to the hope which is set before thee in the Gospel of Christ.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 42:21-24
The office of conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. When the guilt of this sin of Joseph's brethren was fresh, they made light of it, and sat down to eat bread; but now, long afterward, their consciences accused them of it. See the good of afflictions; they often prove the happy means of awakening conscience, and bringing sin to our remembrance. Also, the evil of guilt as to our brethren. Conscience now reproached them for it. Whenever we think we have wrong done us, we ought to remember the wrong we have done to others. Reuben alone remembered with comfort, that he had done what he could to prevent the mischief. When we share with others in their sufferings, it will be a comfort if we have the testimony of our consciences for us, that we did not share in their evil deeds, but in our places witnessed against them. Joseph retired to weep. Though his reason directed that he should still carry himself as a stranger, because they were not as yet humbled enough, yet natural affection could not but work.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 42:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּאמְר֞וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אִ֣ישׁ'isheachH376
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אָחִ֗יו'a.Chivbrother hisH251
אֲבָל֮'a.ValindeedH61
אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים\׀'a.she.Mim[are] guiltyH818
אֲנַחְנוּ֮'a.nach.NuweH587
עַל\־'al-onH5921
אָחִינוּ֒'a.chi.Nubrother ourH251
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhoH834
רָאִ֜ינוּra.'I.nuwe sawH7200
צָרַ֥תtza.Rat[the] distress ofH6869
נַפְשׁ֛וֹnaf.Shoself hisH5315
בְּהִתְחַֽנְנ֥וֹbe.hit.cha.Nowhen sought favor heH2603
אֵלֵ֖ינוּ'e.Lei.nuto usH413
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
שָׁמָ֑עְנוּsha.Ma.'e.nuwe listenedH8085
עַל\־'al-there-H5921
כֵּן֙ken-foreH3651
בָּ֣אָהBa.'ahit has comeH935
אֵלֵ֔ינוּ'e.Lei.nuto usH413
הַצָּרָ֖הha.tza.Rahthe distressH6869
הַזֹּֽאת\׃ha.Zot<the> thisH2063

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 42:21

  • Hosea 5:15

    I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

  • Genesis 37:23-28

    And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? …

  • Job 36:8-9

    And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

  • Mark 9:43-45

    And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

  • 1 Kings 17:18

    And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

  • Job 34:31-32

    Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

  • Matthew 7:2

    For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

  • Proverbs 21:13

    Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

  • Luke 16:28

    For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

  • Jeremiah 2:17

    Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?

  • Genesis 41:9

    Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

  • Jeremiah 2:19

    Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they said.
41:9; Nu 32:23; 2Sa 12:13; 1Ki 17:18; Job 33:27,28; 34:31,32
Job 36:8,9; Ho 5:15; Mt 27:3,4; Mr 9:44,46,48; Lu 16:28; Ac 19:18
we saw.
37:23-28; Jud 1:7; Pr 21:13; 24:11,12; 28:17; Jer 2:17,19; 4:18
Jer 34:17; Mt 7:2; 1Jo 1:9; Jas 2:13
this distress.
Pr 1:27,28

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 42:20

    But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

  • Genesis 42:21

    And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

  • Genesis 42:22

    And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

Read all of Genesis 42

Genesis 42:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y decían el uno al otro: Verdaderamente hemos pecado contra nuestro hermano, que vimos la angustia de su alma cuando nos rogaba, y no le oímos: por eso ha venido sobre nosotros esta angustia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils se dirent l’un à l’autre: Certainement nous sommes coupables à l’égard de notre frère; car nous avons vu la détresse de son âme quand il nous demandait grâce, et nous ne l’avons pas écouté; c’est pourquoi cette détresse est venue sur nous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprachen sie einer zum anderen: Fürwahr, wir sind schuldig wegen unseres Bruders, dessen Seelenangst wir sahen, als er zu uns flehte, und wir hörten nicht; darum ist diese Drangsal über uns gekommen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et locuti sunt ad invicem: Merito hæc patimur, quia peccavimus in fratrem nostrum, videntes angustiam animæ illius, dum deprecaretur nos, et non audivimus: idcirco venit super nos ista tribulatio.