King James Version

Genesis 42:7

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

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Hebrew

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וַיַּ֥רְאvayarand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and see”, the next action in the storyH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…יוֹסֵ֛ףyosefJoseph. Compare H3084יוֹסֵףnoun, proper name — “Joseph. Compare H3084”H3130Joseph, the name of seven IsraelitesJoseph. Compare H3084 (יְהוֹסֵף).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אֶחָ֖יוechayvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.וַיַּכִּרֵ֑םvayakiremand acknowledgeנָכַרconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and acknowledge”, the next action in the storyH5234properly, to scrutinize, i.e. look intently at; hence (with recognition implied), to acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, or (with suspicion implied), to disregard, ignore, be strange toward, reject, resign, dissimulate (as if ignorant or disowning)acknowledge, [idiom] could, deliver, discern, dissemble, estrange, feign self to be another, know, take knowledge (notice), perceive, regard, (have) respect, behave (make) self strange(-ly).וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨רvayitnakerand acknowledgeנָכַרconjunction, verb, hithpael, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and acknowledge”, the next action in the storyH5234properly, to scrutinize, i.e. look intently at; hence (with recognition implied), to acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, or (with suspicion implied), to disregard, ignore, be strange toward, reject, resign, dissimulate (as if ignorant or disowning)acknowledge, [idiom] could, deliver, discern, dissemble, estrange, feign self to be another, know, take knowledge (notice), perceive, regard, (have) respect, behave (make) self strange(-ly).אֲלֵיהֶ֜םaleyhemamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).וַיְדַבֵּ֧רvaydaberand speakדָבַרconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and speak”, the next action in the storyH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אִתָּ֣םitamamongאֵתpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.קָשׁ֗וֹתqashotchurlishקָשֶׁהadjective, adjective, feminine, plural, absolute — “churlish”, the ordinary formH7186severe (in various applications)churlish, cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, [phrase] impudent, obstinate, prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful, stiff(necked), stubborn, [phrase] in trouble.וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֲלֵהֶם֙alehemamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).מֵאַ֣יִןmeayinfrom whenceאַיִןpreposition, particle, interrogative — “from whence”H370where? (only in connection with prepositional prefix, whence)whence, where.בָּאתֶ֔םbatemto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…מֵאֶ֥רֶץmeeretsfrom earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “from earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.כְּנַ֖עַןkenaanCanaanכְּנַעַןnoun, proper name — “Canaan”H3667Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by himCanaan, merchant, traffick.לִשְׁבָּרlishbarto sellשָׁבַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to sell”, the to-form of the verbH7666to deal in grainbuy, sell.אֹֽכֶלokhelfoodאֹכֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “food”, the ordinary formH400foodeating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey, victuals.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Joseph seeth his brethren, and discerneth them, and maketh himself strange unto them, and speaketh with them sharp things, and saith unto them, 'From whence have ye come?' and they say, 'From the land of Canaan — to buy food.'

World English Bible

Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

Darby Translation

And Joseph saw his brethren, and knew them; but he made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them, and said to them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.

Douay-Rheims

And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers somewhat roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And when Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them, and estranged himself from them, and spoke hard words to them; and said to them, Whence are ye come? And they said, Out of the land of Chanaan, to buy food.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἰδὼν δὲ Ἰωσὴφ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ, ἐπέγνω· καὶ ἠλλοτριοῦτο ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς σκληρά· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, πόθεν ἥκατε; οἱ δὲ εἶπον, ἐκ γῆς Χαναὰν, ἀγοράσαι βρώματα.