Genesis 42:23
New International Version
They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

New Living Translation
Of course, they didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter.

English Standard Version
They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

Berean Standard Bible
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

King James Bible
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

New King James Version
But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

New American Standard Bible
They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

NASB 1995
They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

NASB 1977
They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now they did not know that Joseph was listening, for there was an interpreter between them.

Amplified Bible
They did not know that Joseph understood [their conversation], because he spoke to them through an interpreter.

Christian Standard Bible
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

American Standard Version
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

Contemporary English Version
They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter.

English Revised Version
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They didn't know that Joseph could understand them, because he was speaking through an interpreter.

Good News Translation
Joseph understood what they said, but they did not know it, because they had been speaking to him through an interpreter.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, they had no idea that Joseph could understand them, since he was talking to them through an interpreter.

Majority Standard Bible
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

NET Bible
(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through an interpreter.)

New Heart English Bible
Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.

World English Bible
They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they have not known that Joseph understands, for the interpreter [is] between them;

Young's Literal Translation
And they have not known that Joseph understandeth, for the interpreter is between them;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will not know that Joseph heard them, for an interpreter between them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.

New American Bible
They did not know, of course, that Joseph understood what they said, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.

New Revised Standard Version
They did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they did not know that Joseph understood them; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were not aware that Yoseph heard, because an interpreter was standing among them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But they knew not that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Brothers Sent to Egypt
22And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!” 23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.…

Cross References
Genesis 45:1-5
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. / But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household soon heard of it. / Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. ...

Genesis 50:19-21
But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? / As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. / Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Genesis 37:5-11
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. / He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: / We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” ...

Genesis 41:39-44
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. / You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” / Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.” ...

Genesis 50:15-18
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.” / So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, / ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. ...

Acts 7:13
On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

Genesis 37:18-28
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. / “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. / “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” ...

Genesis 45:14-15
Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept as they embraced. / Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.

Genesis 50:24-25
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” / And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Genesis 41:51-52
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” / And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Genesis 45:7-8
God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. / Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 39:2-4
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. / When his master saw that the LORD was with him and made him prosper in all he did, / Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.


Treasury of Scripture

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.

he spake unto them by a interpreter.

Genesis 42:24
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 43:19
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

John 16:13,14
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come…

2 Corinthians 5:20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

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Genesis 42
1. Jacob sends his ten sons to buy grain in Egypt.
16. They are imprisoned by Joseph as spies.
18. They are set at liberty, on condition to bring Benjamin.
21. They have remorse for Joseph.
24. Simeon is kept for a pledge.
25. They return with grain, and their money.
29. Their relation to Jacob.
36. Jacob refuses to send Benjamin.














They did not realize
This phrase highlights the brothers' ignorance of Joseph's true identity and understanding. In Hebrew, the word for "realize" is "yada," which means to know or perceive. This lack of awareness is significant in the narrative, as it underscores the brothers' blindness to the unfolding divine plan. It also reflects the broader theme of God's hidden workings in human affairs, where His purposes are often not immediately apparent to those involved.

that Joseph understood them
The name "Joseph" in Hebrew is "Yosef," meaning "He will add" or "increase." This is prophetic of Joseph's role in God's plan to preserve and increase the family of Israel during the famine. The word "understood" comes from the Hebrew "bin," which implies discernment and insight. Joseph's ability to understand his brothers without their knowledge signifies his wisdom and the fulfillment of his God-given dreams. It also foreshadows the eventual reconciliation and restoration of the family.

since there was an interpreter between them
The presence of an interpreter, or "melitz" in Hebrew, indicates the cultural and linguistic barriers between Joseph and his brothers. This detail emphasizes the distance that has grown between them over the years, both physically and relationally. The use of an interpreter also serves as a metaphor for the barriers that sin and guilt can create in relationships. However, it is through this separation that God orchestrates a deeper understanding and eventual healing. The interpreter's role is crucial in maintaining Joseph's disguise, allowing him to test his brothers' character and repentance without revealing his identity prematurely.

Verse 23. - And they knew not (while they talked in what they imagined to be a foreign dialect to the Egyptian viceroy) that Joseph understood them; - literally, heard (so as to understand what was said) - for he spake unto them by an interpreter - literally, for the interpreter. (חַמְּלִיצ, the hiph. part., with the art., of לוּצ, to speak barbarously, in the hiph. to act as an interpreter), i.e. the official Court interpreter, ἑρμηνευτής (LXX.), was between them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They
וְהֵם֙ (wə·hêm)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

did not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

realize
יָֽדְע֔וּ (yā·ḏə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Joseph
יוֹסֵ֑ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

understood them,
שֹׁמֵ֖עַ (šō·mê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

since
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

there was an interpreter
הַמֵּלִ֖יץ (ham·mê·lîṣ)
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3887: Ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker

between them.
בֵּינֹתָֽם׃ (bê·nō·ṯām)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 996: An interval, space between


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OT Law: Genesis 42:23 They didn't know that Joseph understood them (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 42:22
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