Question: Why does Joseph use the term “Nakedness of the land” when he impugns his brothers’ motive for being in Egypt?
Key Verses:
Genesis 42:9 Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed of them; he said to them: “you are spies who have come to see the nakedness of the land”
42:12 He said to them; “no, it is the nakedness of the land you came to see”
37:23 It came to pass when Joseph came to his brothers; they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him
39:12 She caught him by his garment, saying: “sleep with me”; he left the garment in her hand, he fled and went outside
The dialogue between Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 42 is intriguing. Some of the Biblical commentators make remarks that would have you believe Joseph had a plan ready for when he would see his brothers. This is difficult to endorse. What makes the episode fascinating is seeing how quickly Joseph was able to think on his feet and put a plan into place based on his instincts and in spite of his fears.
At the outset, the brothers enter the hall where Joseph sits and administers the Egyptian bounty, feeding the starving masses arriving in desperation for food. One can sense the scene, Joseph, surrounded by guards and servants attired in Egyptian pomp and finery, sits on a majestic chair, raised above the level of the supplicants, to demonstrate his great power. Joseph’s certainly attired as an Egyptian governor, with makeup that makes him unrecognizable to his brothers. But he recognizes them. In fact, the text repeats this twice (42:7-8).
Verse 7 is a tipoff to who has the upper hand in the dialogue. It’s Joseph. He poses questions and the brothers answer with more information than necessary, a sign of nervousness, as they’re completely dependent on this powerful man for survival.
“Where have you come from?” asks Joseph.
“From the land of Canaan,” answer the brothers.
That would be sufficient, but they continue, “…in order to buy food.”
Joseph must have sensed their nervousness and told himself they would really have been nervous had they known their fate was in the hands of their abused little brother. At this point, the text repeats that Joseph knows (Va-Yaker) his brothers (42:8), as two fighters would know one another. The brothers have erred in showing the first sign of weakness and Joseph, perhaps feeling vengeful, knows full well who these men are and what they’ve done to him. At this exact point, the text (42:9) confirms this thought, stating, “Joseph remembered his dreams…” to show that he indeed “knows” his brothers. These are the same men who persecuted him before selling him into slavery. The reader can feel the raw emotions in the room, even before Joseph speaks again in the second half of Verse 9.
Joseph wanted to put his brothers on the defensive and his choices were to either accuse them of criminal activity or military aggression. If he had accused them of criminal activity, such as wanting to steal food, then why would they have been on line to see him? The only rational accusation Joseph can make is to accuse the brothers of spying. “You are spies,” he says. But what comes next is the most revealing part of the dialogue between them. Joseph says, “You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
Shouldn’t Joseph have used the word “wealth” or “strength” of the land rather than nakedness? If he’s accusing them of spying, they would want to know about Egypt’s abundance, where the food is kept and guarded, where the soldiers and chariots are housed, where the vaults of money are located. Why would they want to know about the desolate parts of Egypt, or its nakedness? It doesn’t make a lot of sense. When the spies returned to Moses after scouting Israel during the generation in the desert, they reported on the size of the fruit and the people, i.e. its strengths. This is what a spy would most likely do. It’s true a spy would want to identify weaknesses as well, but the word “nakedness” doesn’t convey that either. Rashi and others say that’s what he meant by nakedness, the weak points, but certainly there are better words Joseph could have used, but didn’t.
The answer lies in a greater understanding of Joseph and who he was. Upon looking back at his life, one will remember Jacob favoring Joseph, causing friction between the brothers, who didn’t like their father’s favoritism, which was also done between Jacob and his wives. Both these predilections caused ripples in the household. Ultimately, Joseph’s dreams exacerbate the situation and he’s sold into slavery. He rises to the head of the household in the house of Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph and his refusal to have an affair with her leads to his incarceration. There’s a common point in both these events that has relevance to Joseph’s comment to his brothers.
Joseph strutted about his father’s camp, a cocky youth, telling his grand dreams to his brothers, who were cast in subservient roles. He was favored and had the garment to show it, to rub it in his brothers’ faces. Then what happened? The brothers ganged up on him, tore his multi-colored garment off his body (37:23) and dumped him in a pit. Is Joseph naked? Most likely he is. At most he would have an undergarment on. At this point, he’s sold to the Ishmaelite (37:25) or Midyanite (37:28) traders and proceeds, likely by foot, to Egypt, a long walk for a spoiled brat unused to such harshness. Joseph’s probably naked or clothed in his undergarment for the entire 300-mile trek through the hot desert until they reach Egypt. He’s then auctioned off as a slave. Seemingly his nudity has persisted, as potential buyers would want to see what they’re getting. If he was circumsized, this would have been evident and the subject of discussion, if not mockery. At this point in history, no one else other than Abraham’s clan is practicing this custom.[1]
Joseph’s sold as a slave to Potiphar. He quickly rises up the household ladder and becomes the overseer (39:4). The reader is given an unusual detail in the text (39:6): Joseph’s good looking. It has relevance. Potiphar’s wife covets Joseph and makes a pass at him (39:7). Joseph turns her down. As his boss’ wife, this must have been very tough for him to do and most uncomfortable. He tried to be diplomatic about it (39:8-9), but she’s not assuaged. She catches him alone in the house one day and tries to get him to have relations with her. He again turns her down, but this time, the overseer of the house has his garment ripped off his body, as he evades her (39:12), leaving him naked or again, in an undergarment. What happens next? Joseph is thrown into prison, his status as overseer removed. One can imagine he languished in a decrepit prison, naked or minimally dressed, in a loincloth, bemoaning his fall back into the abyss.
Twice now, Joseph has had a garment removed forcefully from his body and this led to his nakedness and complete disempowerment. For Joseph, one can imagine that nudity carried a tremendous psychological scar, since every time he’s naked, it’s a sign of his life crashing down on him.
Yet, despite his powerful position in Egypt, his first instinct in seeing his brothers is to accuse them of coming to see the nakedness of the land. Why this word?
Joseph is afraid the brothers have come to topple him, to reduce him to slavery again. By accusing them of wanting to see the nakedness of his adopted land, Egypt, what Joseph is really saying is they’ve come to bring him into nakedness again. This is the key word in his life that causes him fear. This is the raw Joseph, even before a plan comes together, speaking to his brothers from pure instincts and he’s afraid. One can almost imagine him closing his fists on his clothes unconsciously, as if holding them on his body in order that his brothers not rip them off forcefully.
The interchange continues and Joseph, just as the text stated twice that he knew his brothers, has Joseph state a second time that he knows the brothers have come as spies to see the nakedness of the land. You can sense Joseph’s nervousness. It’s tantamount to facing someone who bullied you in grade school years later as an adult. Joseph’s afraid they’ll strip him naked again, removing him from power and ruining his life. But twice the text reminds us the brothers don’t recognize their younger brother. Joseph has to keep reminding himself he has the advantage. But it’s a chess match, only Joseph is the only player. Will he pull himself together or will he cave to the bullies?
Perhaps Joseph would have caved in, but each time he asks a question or makes an accusation of his brothers, they respond as if they are terrified, offering too much information and making themselves more vulnerable. When Joseph accuses them the first time of coming to see the nakedness of the land, the brothers not only deny it, but offer information (42:11) that in no way refutes the claim. “We are all sons of one man,” they reply. Does their being brothers mean they can’t be spies? Of course not. “We are Keinim,” they continue. It’s not clear what this term means; Rashi says it means they are truthful people. Can honest people not be spies? Of course they can. Even had it not been Joseph sitting in front of them, but a stranger, he wouldn’t have been convinced. No information has been given to refute the claim of spying.
At this point, Joseph reiterates his point, “No, you came to see the nakedness of the land.” He’s still conflicted. He hasn’t put a plan into place; he’s still fighting with his own emotions. But the brothers don’t understand this. They too are afraid. They reiterate they are brothers, unnecessarily adding in that they are twelve siblings, but then offer more irrelevant new information. “The youngest is now with our father and one is no longer with us.”
This new information, about his father and full brother, seems to cause Joseph to regain control of himself. But even more so, if there was any lingering doubt of their suddenly recognizing him, they’ve just admitted they don’t have a clue about who’s speaking to them. He accuses them of being spies, but he drops the nakedness part. He’s pulled himself together. The brothers won’t harm him. They really don’t know who he is. Now that he’s regained composure, Joseph thinks quickly on his feet and begins to formulate a plan (42:15). “You shall not leave here unless your youngest brother comes here.” It’s the last the brothers speak in this dialogue. They’ve given Joseph the information he needed to build a plan.
Joseph was threatened and needed a few minutes to compose himself after seeing his brothers, the bullies who stripped him of everything and sold him into slavery. It’s a very poignant conversation, where the emotions of both sides are palpable in the text. But this time, Joseph, who has rehabilitated himself for the second time after two catastrophic falls, prevails.
[1] Some people will be outraged at the suggestion that the sons of Jacob weren’t circumcised, but simply put, the Biblical text doesn’t tell us one way or the other.