Bible of Kralice (CZ - 1613)

1Vida pak Jákob, že by potrava byla v Egyptě, řekl synům svým: Co hledíte jeden na druhého? 2I mluvil jim: Aj, slyšel jsem, že mají potravu v Egyptě; jděte tam, a kupte nám odtud, abychom živi byli a nezemřeli. 3Tedy šlo deset bratrů Jozefových, aby nakoupili obilí v Egyptě. 4Ale Beniamina, bratra Jozefova, neposlal Jákob s bratřími jeho, nebo řekl: Aby se mu tam něco zlého nepřihodilo. 5I šli synové Izraelovi spolu s jinými, aby kupovali; nebo byl hlad v zemi Kananejské. 6Jozef pak byl nejvyšší správce v zemi té; on prodával obilí všemu lidu země. Tedy přišli bratří Jozefovi, a skláněli se před ním tváří až k zemi. 7A uzřev Jozef bratří své, poznal je; a ukázal se k nim jako cizí, a tvrdě mluvil k nim, řka jim: Odkud jste přišli? I odpověděli: Z země Kananejské, abychom nakoupili potrav. 8Poznal, pravím, Jozef bratří své, ale oni nepoznali ho. 9Tedy zpomenul Jozef na sny, kteréž měl o nich, a řekl jim: Špehéři jste, a přišli jste, abyste shlédli nepevná místa země. 10Kteřížto odpověděli jemu: Nikoli, pane můj, ale služebníci tvoji přišli, aby nakoupili pokrmů. 11Všickni my synové jednoho muže jsme, upřímí jsme; nikdyť jsou nebyli služebníci tvoji špehéři. 12Jimž zase řekl: Není tak, ale přišli jste, abyste shlédli nepevná místa země. 13Odpověděli oni: Dvanácte nás bratří služebníků tvých bylo, synů muže jednoho v zemi Kananejské; a aj, nejmladší s otcem naším nyní jest doma, a jednoho není. 14I řekl jim Jozef: Toť jest, což jsem mluvil vám, když jsem řekl: Špehéři jste. 15Touto věcí zkušeni budete: Živť jest Farao, že nevyjdete odsud, až přijde sem bratr váš mladší. 16Vyšlete z sebe jednoho, ať vezma, přivede bratra vašeho; vy pak u vězení zůstaňte, a zkušena budou vaše slova, pravdu-li jste mluvili. Pakli nic, živť jest Farao, že jste špehéři. 17Tedy dal je všecky spolu do vězení za tři dni. 18Třetího pak dne řekl jim Jozef: Toto učiňte, abyste živi byli; neboť já se bojím Boha. 19Jste-li šlechetní muži, jeden bratr váš ať jest ukován v žaláři, v němž jste byli; vy pak jděte, a odneste obilí k zapuzení hladu domů vašich. 20Bratra pak svého mladšího přivedete ke mně; a pravdomluvná prokázána budou vaše slova, a nezemřete. Tedy učinili tak.  21I mluvil jeden k druhému: Jistě provinili jsme proti bratru svému. Nebo viděli jsme ssoužení duše jeho, když nás pokorně prosil, a nevyslyšeli jsme ho; protož přišlo na nás ssoužení toto. 22Odpověděl pak jim Ruben, řka: Zdaliž jsem tehdy vám nepravil těmito slovy: Nehřešte proti pacholeti. Ale neposlechli jste; pročež také krve jeho, hle, vyhledává se. 23A nevěděli oni, že by rozuměl Jozef; nebo skrze tlumače mluvil jim. 24A odvrátiv se od nich, plakal. Potom navrátiv se k nim, mluvil s nimi, a vzav Simeona z nich, svázal ho před očima jejich. 25Přikázal pak Jozef, aby naplněni byli pytlové jejich obilím, a navráceny peníze jejich jednomu každému do pytle jeho, a aby dána jim byla potrava na cestu. I stalo se tak. 26A vloživše obilí svá na osly své, odešli odtud. 27A rozvázav jeden z nich pytel svůj, aby dal obrok oslu svému v hospodě, uzřel peníze své, kteréž byly na vrchu v pytli jeho. 28I řekl bratřím svým: Navráceny jsou mi peníze mé, a aj, jsou v pytli mém. Tedy užasli se, a předěšeni jsouce, mluvili jeden k druhému: Což nám to učinil Bůh? 29Navrátivše se pak k Jákobovi otci svému do země Kananejské, vypravovali jemu všecko, co se jim přihodilo, pravíce: 30Muž ten, pán země, mluvil k nám tvrdě, a dal nás do vězení, jako špehéře země. 31A řekli jsme jemu: Upřímí jsme, nikdy jsme nebyli špehéři. 32Dvanácte bylo nás bratří, synů otce našeho, z nichž jednoho není, a mladší nyní jest s otcem naším v zemi Kananejské. 33I řekl nám muž ten, pán země té: Po tomto poznám, že upřímí jste: Bratra vašeho jednoho zanechte u mne, a obilí k zapuzení hladu od domů vašich vezmouce, odejděte. 34A přiveďte bratra svého mladšího ke mně, abych poznal, že nejste špehéři, ale upřímí; tehdy bratra vašeho vrátím vám, a budete moci v zemi této obchod vésti. 35I stalo se, že, když vyprazdňovali pytle své, a aj, jeden každý měl uzlík peněz svých v pytli svém. Vidouce pak oni i otec jejich uzlíky peněz svých, báli se. 36I řekl jim Jákob otec jejich: Mne jste zbavili synů: Jozefa není, Simeona nemám, a Beniamina vezmete. Na mneť jsou se tyto všecky věci svalily. 37Tedy řekl Ruben otci svému těmito slovy: Dva syny mé zabí, jestliže ho nepřivedu zase k tobě; poruč ho v ruce mé, a já zase přivedu ho k tobě. 38I řekl: Nesstoupíť syn můj s vámi. Nebo bratr jeho umřel, a on sám pozůstal; a přihodilo-li by se mu co zlého na té cestě, kterouž půjdete, uvedli byste šediny mé s bolestí do hrobu.


Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary
 1   JOURNEY INTO EGYPT. (Gen. 42:1-38)
Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt--learned from common rumor. It is evident from Jacob's language that his own and his sons' families had suffered greatly from the scarcity; and through the increasing severity of the scourge, those men, who had formerly shown both activity and spirit, were sinking into despondency. God would not interpose miraculously when natural means of preservation were within reach.

 5   the famine was in the land of Canaan--The tropical rains, which annually falling swell the Nile, are those of Palestine also; and their failure would produce the same disastrous effects in Canaan as in Egypt. Numerous caravans of its people, therefore, poured over the sandy desert of Suez, with their beasts of burden, for the purchase of corn; and among others, "the sons of Israel" were compelled to undertake a journey from which painful associations made them strongly averse.

 6   Joseph was the governor--in the zenith of his power and influence.
he it was that sold--that is, directed the sales; for it is impossible that he could give attendance in every place. It is probable, however, that he may have personally superintended the storehouses near the border of Canaan, both because that was the most exposed part of the country and because he must have anticipated the arrival of some messengers from his father's house.
Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him--His prophetic dreams [Gen 37:5-Gen 37:11] were in the course of being fulfilled, and the atrocious barbarity of his brethren had been the means of bringing about the very issue they had planned to prevent (Isa 60:14; Rev 3:9, last clause).

 7   Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, . . . but they knew not him--This is not strange. They were full-grown men--he was but a lad at parting. They were in their usual garb--he was in his official robes. They never dreamt of him as governor of Egypt, while he had been expecting them. They had but one face; he had ten persons to judge by.
made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly--It would be an injustice to Joseph's character to suppose that this stern manner was prompted by any vindictive feelings--he never indulged any resentment against others who had injured him. But he spoke in the authoritative tone of the governor in order to elicit some much-longed-for information respecting the state of his father's family, as well as to bring his brethren, by their own humiliation and distress, to a sense of the evils they had done to him.

 9   Ye are spies--This is a suspicion entertained regarding strangers in all Eastern countries down to the present day. Joseph, however, who was well aware that his brethren were not spies, has been charged with cruel dissimulation, with a deliberate violation of what he knew to be the truth, in imputing to them such a character. But it must be remembered that he was sustaining the part of a ruler; and, in fact, acting on the very principle sanctioned by many of the sacred writers, and our Lord Himself, who spoke parables (fictitious stories) to promote a good end.

 15   By the life of Pharaoh--It is a very common practice in Western Asia to swear by the life of the king. Joseph spoke in the style of an Egyptian and perhaps did not think there was any evil in it. But we are taught to regard all such expressions in the light of an oath (Matt 5:34; Jas 5:12).

 17   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 [Gen 42:21-Gen 42:22].

 24   took . . . Simeon, and bound him--He had probably been the chief instigator--the most violent actor in the outrage upon Joseph; and if so, his selection to be the imprisoned and fettered hostage for their return would, in the present course of their reflections, have a painful significance.

 25   Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money--This private generosity was not an infringement of his duty--a defrauding of the revenue. He would have a discretionary power--he was daily enriching the king's exchequer--and he might have paid the sum from his own purse.

 27   inn--a mere station for baiting beasts of burden.
he espied his money--The discovery threw them into greater perplexity than ever. If they had been congratulating themselves on escaping from the ruthless governor, they perceived that now he would have a handle against them; and it is observable that they looked upon this as a judgment of heaven. Thus one leading design of Joseph was gained in their consciences being roused to a sense of guilt.

 35   as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's . . . money was in his sack--It appears that they had been silent about the money discovery at the resting-place, as their father might have blamed them for not instantly returning. However innocent they knew themselves to be, it was universally felt to be an unhappy circumstance, which might bring them into new and greater perils.

 36   Me have ye bereaved--This exclamation indicates a painfully excited state of feeling, and it shows how difficult it is for even a good man to yield implicit submission to the course of Providence. The language does not imply that his missing sons had got foul play from the hands of the rest, but he looks upon Simeon as lost, as well as Joseph, and he insinuates it was by some imprudent statements of theirs that he was exposed to the risk of losing Benjamin also.

 37   Reuben spake, . . . Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee--This was a thoughtless and unwarrantable condition--one that he never seriously expected his father would accept. It was designed only to give assurance of the greatest care being taken of Benjamin. But unforeseen circumstances might arise to render it impossible for all of them to preserve that young lad (Jas 4:13), and Jacob was much pained by the prospect. Little did he know that God was dealing with him severely, but in kindness (Heb 12:7-Heb 12:8), and that all those things he thought against Him were working together for his good.