King James Version

What Does Genesis 43:23 Mean?

“And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. I had: Heb. your money came to me”

Genesis 43:23 · KJV

PeaceFear & Courage

Context

21

And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

22

And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

23

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. I had: Heb. your money came to me

24

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

25

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

Read Genesis 43 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasur... This passage is part of the Joseph narrative, a masterfully crafted account demonstrating God's sovereign providence working through human choices and circumstances to accomplish His redemptive purposes. The Joseph cycle shows how God transforms evil intentions into instruments of salvation.

Central themes include divine providence orchestrating events toward redemptive ends, the testing and refinement of character through suffering and success, forgiveness overcoming betrayal and injustice, and the preservation of God's covenant people through famine. Joseph's rise from slavery to second-in-command of Egypt illustrates how God exalts the humble and uses seeming disasters for ultimate good.

Theologically, these chapters reveal: (1) God's meticulous sovereignty over all events, even evil human actions; (2) suffering as preparation for future service rather than punishment; (3) forgiveness as reflecting divine character and enabling reconciliation; (4) God's covenant faithfulness across generations ensuring the survival and blessing of His people; (5) how present suffering gains meaning when viewed from the perspective of God's larger purposes. Joseph's words "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (50:20) epitomize biblical theodicy and providence.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12-50) reflect the cultural, social, and legal customs of the ancient Near East during the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1500 BCE). Archaeological discoveries including the Mari tablets, Nuzi tablets, and Egyptian records confirm many details: nomadic pastoralism, covenant-making ceremonies, marriage customs, property laws, and international travel patterns described in Genesis.

The cultural practices reflected include: treaty/covenant forms (Genesis 15), bride-price customs (Genesis 24, 29), inheritance laws favoring firstborn sons (Genesis 25, 27), adoption practices (Genesis 15, 30), levirate-type arrangements (Genesis 38), and Egyptian administrative systems (Genesis 41, 47). These parallels confirm Genesis's historical reliability while showing how God worked within ancient cultural frameworks to accomplish His purposes.

For later Israelites, these narratives established their identity as Abraham's descendants, explained their claim to Canaan, justified their possession of Joseph's bones (Exodus 13:19), and provided models of faith despite imperfection. The patriarchs' failures and God's faithfulness encouraged Israel that covenant relationship depended on God's grace rather than human merit. The movement from Mesopotamia to Canaan to Egypt set the stage for the Exodus and conquest narratives.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does understanding this verse shape our doctrine of humanity, sin, or salvation?
  2. How does this passage challenge modern cultural assumptions about identity, purpose, or morality?
  3. How does this passage point forward to Christ and the gospel of redemption?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 19 words
וַיֹּאמֶר֩1 of 19

“And he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

שָׁל֨וֹם2 of 19

“Peace”

H7965

safe, i.e., (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e., health, prosperity, peace

לָכֶ֜ם3 of 19
H0
אַל4 of 19
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּירָ֗אוּ5 of 19

“be to you fear”

H3372

to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten

וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י6 of 19

“and the God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י7 of 19

“and the God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

אֲבִיכֶם֙8 of 19

“of your father”

H1

father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application

נָתַ֨ן9 of 19

“hath given”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

לָכֶ֤ם10 of 19
H0
מַטְמוֹן֙11 of 19

“you treasure”

H4301

a secret storehouse; hence, a secreted valuable (buried); generally money

בְּאַמְתְּחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם12 of 19

“in your sacks”

H572

properly, something expansive, i.e., a bag

כַּסְפְּכֶ֖ם13 of 19

“your money”

H3701

silver (from its pale color); by implication, money

בָּ֣א14 of 19

“I had”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אֵלָ֑י15 of 19
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

וַיּוֹצֵ֥א16 of 19

“And he brought”

H3318

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim

אֲלֵהֶ֖ם17 of 19
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

אֶת18 of 19
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃19 of 19

“Simeon”

H8095

shimon, one of jacob's sons, also the tribe descended from him

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Genesis. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Genesis 43:23 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Genesis 43:23 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Genesis 42:24John 20:26John 14:27John 20:21John 20:19Luke 10:5

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