This verse from Genesis 42:17 is part of the story of Joseph and his brothers. Here's a breakdown of what it means in context:
"He" refers to Joseph: At this point in the narrative, Joseph is a high-ranking official in Egypt. His brothers don't recognize him, but he recognizes them from when they sold him into slavery years earlier.
"them" refers to Joseph's brothers: These are the sons of Jacob (Israel) who have come to Egypt to buy grain during a famine.
"put them all together into custody" means: Joseph imprisoned all ten of his brothers (Benjamin, the youngest, stayed back with Jacob). They were held under guard. This wasn't a luxurious confinement; it was a form of imprisonment.
"for three days" means: Joseph kept them locked up for a period of three days.
Therefore, Genesis 42:17 means that Joseph, testing his brothers and concealing his identity, had all ten of them imprisoned under guard for three days.
Why did Joseph do this?
Joseph's actions were part of a larger plan to:
Test his brothers' remorse: He wanted to see if they had changed and if they felt any guilt or responsibility for their past treatment of him.
Verify their story: He questioned them about their family and wanted to be sure they were telling the truth. He suspected they might be spies.
Engineer a reunion with his father, Jacob, and his younger brother, Benjamin: Ultimately, he longed to see his family again.
The three days of imprisonment were a deliberate part of Joseph's strategy to control the situation, gather information, and pave the way for the next phase of his plan, which involved demanding that Benjamin be brought to Egypt.
This verse from Genesis 42:17 is part of the story of Joseph and his brothers. Here's a breakdown of what it means in context:
"He" refers to Joseph: At this point in the narrative, Joseph is a high-ranking official in Egypt. His brothers don't recognize him, but he recognizes them from when they sold him into slavery years earlier.
"them" refers to Joseph's brothers: These are the sons of Jacob (Israel) who have come to Egypt to buy grain during a famine.
"put them all together into custody" means: Joseph imprisoned all ten of his brothers (Benjamin, the youngest, stayed back with Jacob). They were held under guard. This wasn't a luxurious confinement; it was a form of imprisonment.
"for three days" means: Joseph kept them locked up for a period of three days.
Therefore, Genesis 42:17 means that Joseph, testing his brothers and concealing his identity, had all ten of them imprisoned under guard for three days.
Why did Joseph do this?
Joseph's actions were part of a larger plan to:
Test his brothers' remorse: He wanted to see if they had changed and if they felt any guilt or responsibility for their past treatment of him.
Verify their story: He questioned them about their family and wanted to be sure they were telling the truth. He suspected they might be spies.
Engineer a reunion with his father, Jacob, and his younger brother, Benjamin: Ultimately, he longed to see his family again.
The three days of imprisonment were a deliberate part of Joseph's strategy to control the situation, gather information, and pave the way for the next phase of his plan, which involved demanding that Benjamin be brought to Egypt.