Genesis 42:10

Gen 42:10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

Ver. 10. Nay, my lord.] The world is well changed since they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh." Then they could not find in their hearts to call him brother; now they call him "lord." God, when he pleaseth, can change the note of our worst enemies to us. There is a promise, that "they shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet." {Isa 49:23}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said unto them, nay,.... This argument will not do, I am not to be put off with such words as these; if you can produce no better proof of your being honest men than this, or give no better account of yourselves, I must abide by it, that:

to see the nakedness of the land ye are come; this he urged in order to get a further account from them of their family and the state of it, which he was anxious to know.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ver. 10-12. And they said unto him. Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. "They were not filled with resentment at the imputation" cast upon them by Joseph; "or, ff they were angry, their pride was swallowed up by fear" (Lawson). We are all one man"s sons; we are true men, i.e. upright, honest, viri bonae fidei (Rosenm rather than eijrhnikoi (LXX), pacifici (Vulgate)thy servants are no spies. It was altogether improbable that one man should send ten sons at the same time and to the same place on the perilous business of a spy, hence the simple mention of the fact that they were ten brethren was sufficient to establish their sincerity. Yet Joseph affected still to doubt them. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come assuming a harsh and almost violent demeanor hot out of heartlesscruelty (Kalisch), but in order to hide the growing weakness of his heart (Candlish).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

לא אדני NAY, MY LORD — do not say this, for behold ועבדיך באו לשבר אכל THY SERVANTS HAVE COME TO BUY FOOD.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ועבדיך, the letter ו at the beginning of this word substitutes for the word אבל, “but”. In other words: “no my lord, not as you have said; but your servants simply came here to buy food.” The use of the letter ו instead of the word אבל is not unique, as it also occurs in Psalms 7,5 ואחלצה צוררי ריקם, “but I have rescued my foe without reward.”

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.