Genesis 42:2

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

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.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֣ה שָׁמַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם רְדוּ־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ וְשִׁבְרוּ־לָ֣נוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם וְנִחְיֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א נָמֽוּת׃

Transliteration

And wayyōʾmer: hinnēh šāmaʿtî that there-is šeber in miṣrāyim; rědû-šāmmāh and šibrû-for-us from-there, and wěniḥyeh and not nāmût.

Grammar Details

*wayyōʾmer*: waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
*hinnēh*: interjection - behold/look
*šāmaʿtî*: qal perfect, 1st singular - I have heard
*šeber*: noun, masculine singular - grain/food/provisions
*miṣrāyim*: proper noun, locative - Egypt
*rědû*: qal imperative, masculine plural - go down
*šāmmāh*: adverb - there/to there
*šibrû*: qal imperative, masculine plural - buy grain
*wěniḥyeh*: waw-consecutive qal imperfect, 1st plural - and we will live
*nāmût*: qal imperfect, 1st plural - we will die

Word Meanings

*šeber*: grain/corn/food/provisions/produce
*šibrû*: buy grain/purchase food

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

Gen 43:8 : 8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
Gen 45:9 : 9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not;
Ps 118:17 : 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of Jehovah.
Isa 38:1 : 1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
Matt 4:4 : 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Gen 43:2 : 2 And 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 43:4 : 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

Similar Verses (AI)

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

Gen 42:3
89%
3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Gen 42:1
88%
1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
Gen 42:5-7
3 verses
84%
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.
Gen 43:1-2
2 verses
84%
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 47:19
80%
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.
Acts 7:11-12
2 verses
79%
11Now there came a famine over all {G1093} Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.
Gen 41:54-55
2 verses
78%
54And 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.
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 44:25
78%
25And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
Gen 41:57
78%
57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.
Gen 47:14-15
2 verses
77%
14And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for [our] money faileth.
Gen 42:32-33
2 verses
77%
32we are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
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 41:36
77%
36And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
Gen 42:10
76%
10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
Gen 43:20
76%
20and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
Gen 43:4
76%
4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
Jer 42:14
76%
14saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:
Gen 45:17-18
2 verses
76%
17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
Gen 47:4
75%
4And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
Gen 42:19-20
2 verses
75%
19if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses:
20and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
Gen 45:9
74%
9Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not;
Gen 43:7-8
2 verses
74%
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?
8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
Gen 46:31
74%
31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;