42:1, 2 Why was corn or grain so valuable in those days? As a food source it was universal and used in nearly everything eaten. It could be dried and stored much longer than any vegetables, milk products, or meat. It was so important that it was even used as money.
42:4 Jacob was especially fond of Benjamin because he was Joseph’s only full brother and—as far as Jacob knew—the only surviving son of his beloved wife, Rachel. Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son and a child of his old age.
42:7 Joseph could have revealed his identity to his brothers at once. But Joseph’s last memory of them may well have been staring in horror at their faces as slave traders carried him away. Were his brothers still evil and treacherous, or had they changed over the years? Joseph decided to put them through a few tests to find out.
42:8, 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about his brothers bowing down to him (37:6-9). Those dreams were coming true! As a young boy, Joseph had been boastful about his dreams. As a man, he no longer flaunted his superior status. He did not feel the need to say, “I told you so.” It was not yet time to reveal his identity, so he kept quiet. Sometimes it is best to remain quiet, even when we would like to have the last word.
42:15 Joseph was testing his brothers to make sure they had not been as cruel to Benjamin as they had been to him. Benjamin was his only full brother, and he wanted to see him face-to-face.
42:22 Reuben couldn’t resist saying, “I told you so.” He thought they were being punished by God for what they had done to Joseph. Apparently the intervening years had not lessened their guilt. Selling Joseph into slavery amounted to death in their minds, for they surely never expected to see him again.