Bible study · Genesis 42:1-38
Genesis 42: The brothers bow
Read Genesis 42:1-38 before you meet.
In a few lines
Joseph's brothers came to Egypt for grain and bowed before him, as in his dream, without knowing him. He recognized them but acted like a stranger, tested them and kept Simeon. The brothers confessed, in front of him, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother," and Joseph turned away and wept. Jacob said, "All these things are against me."
The verse to carry
“They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.””
Genesis 42:21
To talk about
1. Years later, the brothers said, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother." What does this chapter show about how a hidden wrong affects people?
2. Joseph tested his brothers before he revealed himself. When is it wise to see if someone has changed before trusting them again?
3. Jacob said, "All these things are against me," but the reader knows Joseph was alive. When has something looked against you that later turned out otherwise?