Genesis 42:23

Gen 42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

Ver. 23. Understood them.] Heb., Heard them. See 1Co 14:2, marg. So Isa 36:11. So a hearing heart is put for "an understanding heart," {1Ki 3:9} which many of our common hearers want; and therefore hear to no purpose. {Isa 6:9}

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.

Gen 42:23. He spake by an interpreter — Joseph’s pretending not to understand their language was a wise piece of art, as by that means he discovered their real sentiments, as it appears they spoke to one another in their own language without reserve before him, probably when the interpreter was gone forth.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, an interpreter between them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 23. For he spake unto them by an interpreter.] Either there was a very great difference between the two languages as then spoken, or Joseph, to prevent all suspicion, might affect to be ignorant of both. We have many evidences in this book that the Egyptians, Hebrews, Canaanites, and Syrians, could understand each other in a general way, though there are also proofs that there was a considerable difference between their dialects.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. an interpreter] The services of interpreters would be necessary for the maintenance of intercourse between Egyptian rulers and the inhabitants of Canaan. The Tel el-Amarna tablets shew that between the kings of Canaanite cities and the court of Egypt, communications were carried on in the Assyrian language, as a kind of lingua franca. For other examples in the O.T., illustrating difficulties of communication between nationalities speaking different languages, see 2Ki_18:26; Ezr_4:7.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And as one of them opened his sack,.... According to the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi, this was Levi; but Aben Ezra thinks it is more likely to be Reuben the firstborn, who was one, that is, the first of them:

to give his ass provender in the inn; at which they lay very probably the first night of their journey; a good man regards the life of his beast, and takes care of that as well as of himself, and generally in the first place:

he espied his money; the money which he paid for his corn:

for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth; just as he opened it.

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

Interpreter, to keep them at a greater distance. It does not appear that the sons of Jacob were ignorant of the language of the country. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

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. (xyliMj, the hiph. part., with the art., of xWl, to speak barbarously, in the hiph. to act as an interpreter), i.e. the official Court interpreter, eJrmhneuthv (LXX), was between them.

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

They did not know ... an interpreter between them

This shifts from the main story line to background information that explains why the brothers thought Joseph could not understand them. (See: Background Information)

an interpreter

An "interpreter" is someone who translates what one person says into another language. Joseph placed an interpreter between himself and his brothers to make it seem like he did not speak their language.

He turned from them and wept

It is implied that Joseph wept because he was emotional after hearing what his brothers said. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

spoke to them

Joseph was still speaking a different language and using the interpreter to speak to his brothers. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

bound him before their eyes

Here the people are represented by their "eyes" to emphasize what they see. AT: "bound him in their sight" or "bound him as they watched" (See: Synecdoche)

to give them provisions

"to give them the supplies they needed"

It was done for them

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The servants did for them everything that Joseph commanded" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Joseph (OT)

Simeon

bind

command

servant

grain

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

והם לא ידעו כי שמע יוסף AND THEY KNEW NOT THAT JOSEPH שמע UNDERSTOOD their language, and they said this in his presence.

כי המליץ בינתם FOR THE INTERPRETER WAS BETWEEN THEM — for when they had spoken to him there was an interpreter between them who knew both the Hebrew and the Egyptian languages. He interpreted their words to Joseph and Joseph’s words to them. Consequently they were under the impression that Joseph did not understand the Hebrew language.

המליץ THE INTERPRETER — This was Manasseh (Genesis Rabbah 91:8).

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.

כי המליץ, we already explained the function of the interpreter.

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.