Genesis 42:30
New International Version
“The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land.

New Living Translation
“The man who is governor of the land spoke very harshly to us,” they told him. “He accused us of being spies scouting the land.

English Standard Version
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land.

Berean Standard Bible
“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

King James Bible
The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

New King James Version
“The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

New American Standard Bible
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

NASB 1995
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

NASB 1977
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

Legacy Standard Bible
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us and took us for spies of the country.

Amplified Bible
“The man who is the lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and took us for spies of the land.

Christian Standard Bible
“The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

American Standard Version
The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

Contemporary English Version
The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies.

English Revised Version
The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"The governor of that land spoke harshly to us and treated us like spies.

Good News Translation
"The governor of Egypt spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying against his country.

International Standard Version
"The man who was in charge of the land spoke harshly to us," they said. "He accused us of being spies!

Majority Standard Bible
“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

NET Bible
"The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us as if we were spying on the land.

New Heart English Bible
"The man, the lord of the country, spoke harshly to us, and he put us in custody as spies of the country.

Webster's Bible Translation
The man who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

World English Bible
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“The man, the lord of the land, has spoken with us sharp things, and makes us as spies of the land;

Young's Literal Translation
'The man, the lord of the land, hath spoken with us sharp things, and maketh us as spies of the land;

Smith's Literal Translation
The man, the lord of the land, spake to us hard things, and he will give us for spying the land.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.

New American Bible
“The man who is lord of the land,” they said, “spoke to us harshly and put us in custody on the grounds that we were spying on the land.

New Revised Standard Version
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us, and charged us with spying on the land.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the land.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“The man, the Lord of the land, spoke with us severely and he considered us as spies of the land.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The man, the lord of the land, spoke harsh words to us, and put us in prison as spies of the land.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them: 30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.…

Cross References
Genesis 43:3-5
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ / If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. / But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

Genesis 44:18-20
Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. / My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ / And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

Genesis 45:3-5
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. / Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! / And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Exodus 1:8-10
Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. / “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. / Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Acts 7:13-14
On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. / Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.

Acts 7:18-19
Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. / He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.

Psalm 105:16-22
He called down famine on the land and cut off all their supplies of food. / He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. / They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons, ...

Hebrews 11:21-22
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. / By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

1 Samuel 16:1-2
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.” / “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’

2 Kings 8:7-15
Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad king of Aram was sick, and the king was told, “The man of God has come here.” / So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” / So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” ...

Matthew 10:16-18
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. / But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. / On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...


Treasury of Scripture

The man, who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

roughly to us.

Genesis 42:7-20
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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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.














The man who is lord of the land
This phrase refers to Joseph, who, unbeknownst to his brothers, has risen to a position of great authority in Egypt. The Hebrew word for "lord" here is "אָדוֹן" (adon), which signifies a master or ruler. Historically, Egypt was a powerful nation, and Joseph's position as second-in-command under Pharaoh highlights God's providence and the fulfillment of Joseph's earlier dreams. This phrase sets the stage for the unfolding drama of reconciliation and redemption within the family of Jacob.

spoke harshly to us
The Hebrew root for "harshly" is "קָשָׁה" (qashah), meaning severe or difficult. Joseph's stern demeanor was part of his strategy to test his brothers' character and repentance. This moment is pivotal, as it reflects the tension and unresolved guilt from their past actions against Joseph. It also serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for repentance and forgiveness.

and accused us of spying on the land
The accusation of being spies is significant in the narrative. The Hebrew word for "spying" is "רָגַל" (ragal), which implies a secretive or deceitful investigation. This accusation forces the brothers to confront their integrity and honesty. In a broader theological context, it illustrates how God uses circumstances to bring about self-examination and spiritual growth. The brothers' experience in Egypt becomes a crucible for transformation, leading them towards reconciliation with Joseph and ultimately with God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“The man
הָאִ֨ישׁ (hā·’îš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

who is the lord
אֲדֹנֵ֥י (’ă·ḏō·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

of the land
הָאָ֛רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

spoke
דִּ֠בֶּר (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

harshly
קָשׁ֑וֹת (qā·šō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 7186: Hard, severe

to us
אִתָּ֖נוּ (’it·tā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

and accused us of spying
כִּֽמְרַגְּלִ֖ים (kim·rag·gə·lîm)
Preposition-k | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7270: To walk along, to reconnoiter, to be a, tale-bearer, to lead about

on the country.
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Law: Genesis 42:30 The man the lord of the land (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 42:29
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