Genesis 42 opens during the severe famine that has gripped the ancient Near East, including the land of Canaan where Jacob and his family live. When Jacob learns that grain is available for purchase in Egypt, he sends ten of his sons to buy food, keeping only Benjamin, his youngest son and the full brother of the now-missing Joseph, safely at home.

Upon arriving in Egypt, the ten brothers unknowingly come before Joseph, who has risen to become the second-in-command of all Egypt and oversees the distribution of grain during the famine. Joseph immediately recognizes his brothers, but they don’t recognize him after more than twenty years and his transformation into an Egyptian official. Rather than revealing his identity, Joseph decides to test his brothers, speaking to them harshly through an interpreter and accusing them of being spies.

The brothers vehemently deny the accusation, explaining that they’re honest men, sons of one father in Canaan, and that they have come only to buy food. They mention that they were originally twelve brothers, but “one is not” and the youngest has remained at home with their father. Joseph continues his harsh treatment, insisting that they must prove their honesty by bringing their youngest brother to Egypt while one of them remains imprisoned as a guarantee of their return.

After keeping all the brothers in custody for three days, Joseph modifies his demand, stating that only one brother will remain in prison while the others return home with grain. He requires them to bring back their youngest brother as proof of their truthfulness, warning that otherwise they won’t see his face again. The brothers, speaking among themselves in Hebrew and unaware that Joseph understands them, begin to acknowledge their guilt regarding their treatment of Joseph years earlier, recognizing their current situation as divine retribution for their past sins.

Joseph, overhearing his brothers' confession and expressions of remorse, is deeply moved and turns away to weep privately. He then returns and selects Simeon to remain bound before their eyes while the others prepare to return to Canaan. Unknown to his brothers, Joseph secretly orders his servants to return each brother's money to their grain sacks, along with provisions for their journey home.

Genesis 42 concludes with the brothers' discovery of the returned money, first when one opens his sack at a lodging place during the journey, and later when they all discover their money back at home. This discovery fills them with fear, as they wonder what God is doing to them. When they relate all of this to Jacob, including Joseph's demand to see Benjamin and Simeon's imprisonment, Jacob is devastated, lamenting that he’s being bereaved of his children and refusing to allow Benjamin to go to Egypt, declaring that, if harm should come to Benjamin, it would bring his gray hairs down to the grave in sorrow.