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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.

New Defender's Study Bible Notes

42:7 saw his brethren. It seems very likely that Joseph knew that his brothers would eventually have to come to him to buy grain, and had planned how he would handle the situation when they would finally appear–no doubt after much thought and prayer. He was most concerned that God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be fulfilled in the descendants of Israel, but this would first require full reconciliation of all the family members to each other. He was not seeking revenge but restoration, and this would necessarily require recognition of their sin by his brothers, followed by forgiveness by himself. Accordingly, the several stages of his plan to bring this about were set in motion at this time.


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