The Meaning of Genesis 42:13 Explained

Genesis 42:13

KJV: And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

YLT: and they say, 'Thy servants are twelve brethren; we are sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and lo, the young one is with our father to-day, and the one is not.'

Darby: And they said, Thy servants were twelve brethren, sons of one man, in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

ASV: And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they said,  Thy servants  [are] twelve  brethren,  the sons  of one  man  in the land  of Canaan;  and, behold, the youngest  [is] this day  with our father,  and one  [is] not. 

What does Genesis 42:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 42:1-17 - Joseph Sees His Ten Brothers
The true interpretation of Joseph's treatment of his brethren is to be found in the supposition that he repeated toward them, as nearly as possible, the behavior that they had shown to himself at the pit's mouth, and this with no thought of retaliation, but that their consciences might be awakened, and that he might discover if they would deal differently with Benjamin than they had dealt with him. He needed to be sure of their repentance before he could trust himself to them again. His purpose therefore was in part secured when he heard them saying to each other in the dear old home-tongue, which they never expected him to understand, "We are verily guilty because of our brother." So God deals with us. The east wind blows bitterly in our faces, the famine is behind and the harsh governor before. All these things are hard to bear; but behind them is the tenderest love, which struggles with its tears and is only eager to get us right before entrusting itself to us. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Genesis 42:13 mean?

And they said two [and] ten your servants brothers we [are] the sons of man one in the land of Canaan and in fact the youngest [is] with our father today and one [is] no more
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂר֩ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ אַחִ֧ים ׀ אֲנַ֛חְנוּ בְּנֵ֥י אִישׁ־ אֶחָ֖ד בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַקָּטֹ֤ן אֶת־ אָבִ֙ינוּ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְהָאֶחָ֖ד אֵינֶֽנּוּ

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ  And  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שְׁנֵ֣ים  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂר֩  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אַחִ֧ים ׀  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֲנַ֛חְנוּ  we  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אִישׁ־  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶחָ֖ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנָ֑עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה  and  in  fact 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הַקָּטֹ֤ן  the  youngest  [is] 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
אָבִ֙ינוּ֙  our  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
הַיּ֔וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְהָאֶחָ֖ד  and  one  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
אֵינֶֽנּוּ  no  more 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.