The Meaning of Genesis 42:21 Explained

Genesis 42:21

KJV: And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

YLT: And they say one unto another, 'Verily we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul, in his making supplication unto us, and we did not hearken: therefore hath this distress come upon us.'

Darby: Then they said one to another, We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, whose anguish of soul we saw when he besought us, and we did not hearken; therefore this distress is come upon us.

ASV: And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they said  one  to another,  We [are] verily  guilty  concerning our brother,  in that  we saw  the anguish  of his soul,  when he besought  us, and we would not hear;  therefore is this distress  come  upon us. 

What does Genesis 42:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 42:18-38 - Simeon Held The Others Sent Home
The behavior of this great Egyptian official-for so the brethren deemed him-must have seemed very hard and tyrannical to the trembling shepherds from the far land of Canaan. They had no idea that he understood what they said, and turned away to weep. But we can read his inner meaning. He must secure their return, so he kept Simeon bound. He wanted to see the beloved Benjamin, and to test their behavior to him, so he threatened that they should not see his face unless their youngest brother accompanied them. He gave to them of his kindly care in the gift of provisions and the return of their money. It was natural that the old father heard their story with failing-heart-"All these things are against me." Nay, in all these things was the life of the Spirit, and in all these things we are more than conquerors. See Romans 8:37.
"Judge not the Lord with feeble sense,
But trust him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face." [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Genesis 42:21 mean?

And they said one to another truly guilty we [are] concerning our brother for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us and not we did listen upon thus has come upon us distress this
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־ אָחִ֗יו אֲבָל֮ אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים ׀ אֲנַחְנוּ֮ עַל־ אָחִינוּ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָאִ֜ינוּ צָרַ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ בְּהִתְחַֽנְנ֥וֹ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א שָׁמָ֑עְנוּ עַל־ כֵּן֙ בָּ֣אָה אֵלֵ֔ינוּ הַצָּרָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת

וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ  And  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אִ֣ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אָחִ֗יו  another 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֲבָל֮  truly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אֲבָל  
Sense: truly, verily, surely.
אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים ׀  guilty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אָשֵׁם  
Sense: guilty, faulty (and obliged to offer a guilt-offering).
אֲנַחְנוּ֮  we  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
עַל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אָחִינוּ֒  our  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
רָאִ֜ינוּ  we  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
צָרַ֥ת  the  anguish 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
נַפְשׁ֛וֹ  of  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בְּהִתְחַֽנְנ֥וֹ  when  he  pleaded 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
אֵלֵ֖ינוּ  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמָ֑עְנוּ  we  did  listen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּן֙  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
בָּ֣אָה  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלֵ֔ינוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַצָּרָ֖ה  distress 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
הַזֹּֽאת  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.