Genesis 42:1

WEB · Bible Passage

Bible Text

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"

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Maps for this passage

Canaan in the Patriarchal AgeCanaan during the patriarchal period, before the Israelite conquest.

The Ancient Near East (Fertile Crescent)The ancient Near East and Fertile Crescent, from Mesopotamia to Egypt, the world of the patriarchs.

Historical maps are public-domain atlas plates, digitized by Wikimedia Commons.

Canaan was the land where Jacob and his family lived, the territory promised to Abraham’s descendants. Egypt, southwest of Canaan, had stored grain during famine, so Jacob sent his sons there to buy food, setting in motion their encounter with Joseph.

Places in this passage

Genesis 42:1 mentions Canaan and Egypt.

Photo of Egypt — Egypt · Ricardo Liberato