Genesis 42:1

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיַּ֣רְא יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לְבָנָ֔יו לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ׃

Transliteration

And wayyarʾ yaʿăqōb that there-is šeber in miṣrāyim, and wayyōʾmer yaʿăqōb to-bānāw: why titrāʾû?

Grammar Details

*wayyarʾ*: waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he saw
*yaʿăqōb*: proper noun, masculine singular - Jacob
*šeber*: noun, masculine singular - grain/food/provisions
*miṣrāyim*: proper noun, locative - Egypt
*wayyōʾmer*: waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
*bānāw*: noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person suffix - his sons
*titrāʾû*: hitpael imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you look at one another

Word Meanings

*šeber*: grain/corn/food/provisions/produce
*titrāʾû*: look at one another/gaze at each other/stare at each other/hesitate

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Acts 7:12 : 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.
Gal 2:7 : 7 but contrariwise, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter with [the gospel] of the circumcision
Gen 41:54 : 54 And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Gen 41:57 : 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.
Gen 42:2 : 2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
Exod 5:19 : 19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, [your] daily tasks.
Exod 20:18 : 18 And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.
Josh 7:10 : 10 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face?
1 Kgs 19:3 : 3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
2 Kgs 8:3-4 : 3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
Ezra 10:4 : 4 Arise; for the matter belongeth unto thee, and we are with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
Jer 8:14 : 14 Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for Jehovah our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Jehovah.
Hos 5:13 : 13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Gen 42:2-3
2 verses
88%
2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Gen 43:1-2
2 verses
80%
1And the famine was sore in the land.
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Gen 42:5-7
3 verses
79%
5And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.
7And 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.
Acts 7:12
78%
12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.
Gen 42:28-29
2 verses
75%
28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, What is this that God hath done unto us?
29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
Gen 41:57
73%
57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.
Gen 41:55
73%
55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
Gen 45:17
73%
17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
Gen 42:33
73%
33And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take [grain for] the famine of your houses, and go your way;
Gen 48:8
73%
8And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?
Gen 46:6
73%
6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
Gen 42:35
73%
35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
Gen 42:12-14
3 verses
72%
12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13And 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.
14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
Gen 45:25
72%
25And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father.
Gen 37:25
72%
25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
Gen 45:12
72%
12And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
Gen 45:4
72%
4And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 42:25
72%
25Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the way: and thus was it done unto them.
Gen 44:21
72%
21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
Gen 47:19
72%
19wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
Gen 40:7
72%
7And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in ward in his master's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sad to-day?
Gen 43:7
72%
7And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
Gen 46:32
72%
32and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
Gen 44:25
72%
25And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
Gen 42:10
71%
10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.