"And the seven years of death began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And 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. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands." (Genesis 41: 54-57)
"Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan." (Genesis 42:1-5)
The word dearth, as used by the King James version, means: famine or hunger. Such an event of famine is normally brought on by prolonged drought, causing a failure of food crops, both for humans and for animals. It appears that the same lack of rainfall being experienced in Egypt, was also causing a lack of food crops in neighboring lands, including Canaan.
Thus, when Jacob hears that there is corn to be purchased in Egypt, he hastens to send his sons to go purchase it for their survival. Surely, the brothers of Joseph were not keen to go into Egypt. Surely, their guilty consciences prodded them severely at even the mention of that name, much less having to now go into the land. In fact, that guilt lies heavy upon them all still as will be seen by the next passage of scripture:
"And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved: by the life Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. And he put them all together into ward three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live, for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: but bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. And they said to one 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. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes." (Genesis 42:6-24)
Something in what the brothers were speaking about to one another, caused Joseph to turn and weep. Was it the remembrance of his distress, the anguish of his soul, when they sold him off into slavery? Was it that this was the first time he realized that at least one brother, Reuben, tried to keep the mob of brethren from harming him? Was it because he could see that the guilt of their wrongdoing had consumed them all these years, and his humble and compassionate heart was unable to bear their suffering? Or was it because he was overwhelmed with the goodness of God towards him and his family to have brought them to this place, just as his dreams had foretold? What we are told is that he harbored no grudge against his brothers, and did only good to them, in spite of holding Simeon ransom for a while; which was done only in order to assure he would see his brother Benjamin.
"Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence." (Genesis 42:25-26)
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