Thematic Bible: Dissembling


Thematic Bible



When Joseph saw his brethren, he knew them: But made strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them saying, "Whence come ye?" And they said, "Out of the land of Canaan, to buy victuals." Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered his dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, "Ye are spies, and to see where the land is weak is your coming." read more.
And they said unto him, "Nay, my lord: but to buy victuals thy servants are come. We are all one man's sons, and mean truly, and thy servants are no spies." And he said unto them, "Nay, verily, but even to see where the land is weak is your coming." And they said, "We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is yet with our father, and one no man knoweth where he is." Joseph said unto them, "That is it that I said unto you, that ye are surely spies. Hereby ye shall be proved. For by the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go hence, until your youngest brother be come hither. Send therefore one of you and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be in prison in the mean season. And thereby shall your words be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh, ye are but spies." And he put them inward three days. And Joseph said unto the third day, "This do and live, for I fear God. If ye mean no hurt, let one of your brethren be bound in the prison, and go ye and bring the necessary food unto your households, and bring your youngest brother unto me: that your words may be believed, and that ye die not." And they did so.

When Joseph came home, they brought the present into the house to him, which they had in their hands, and fell flat on the ground before him. And he welcomed them courteously saying, "Is your father, that old man which ye told me of, in good health? And is he yet alive?" They answered, "Thy servant our father is in good health, and is yet alive. And they bowed themselves and fell to the ground." read more.
And he lift up his eyes and beheld his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother of whom ye said unto me?" And said, "God be merciful unto thee my son." And Joseph made haste - for his heart did melt upon his brother - and sought for to weep, and entered into his chamber, for to weep there. And he washed his face and came out and refrained himself, and bade set bread on the table. And they prepared for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians which ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him; the eldest according unto his age, and the youngest according unto his youth. And the men marveled among themselves. And they brought rewards unto them from before him: but Benjamin's part was five times so much as any of theirs. And they ate and they drank, and were drunk with him.


And he changed his countenance before them, and raved in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servant, "Lo, ye saw that this man was beside himself; wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Lack I madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? He shall not come into my house."