When Joseph recognized his brothers, he did not tell them who he was. Instead, he accused them of being spies and had them locked up for three days (Gen 42:8-17).
The narrator tells us nothing about Joseph's thought process beyond a note that he remembered the dreams he had had more than 20 years before (v 9). That note led to a suggestion by Nachmanides (1194-1270), one of the great medieval Jewish commentators, that Joseph's overall goal was to arrange for the fulfillment of his dreams.
Most interpreters do not go in that direction, however. A more usual suggestion is that Joseph's plan was to test his brothers and promote their repentance and the reunification of his family.
As we continue through the narrative, we at least can keep track of Joseph's actions and their results. His incarceration of his brothers certainly gave them an opportunity to contemplate their predicament. They blamed their situation on what they done to Joseph all those years ago (vv 21-22). They felt guilty about what they had done, which can be considered a step toward repentance.
After three days Joseph sent his brothers back home with grain, keeping Simeon in custody and ordering the others to return with their brother Benjamin. They told their father the truth about where Simeon was, an improvement over their behavior with regard to Joseph.
It would take some time for Jacob to accept the idea of Benjamin's making the trip to Egypt. But as the famine continued, Judah finally persuaded him to let Benjamin go, taking personally responsibility for Benjamin's welfare (Gen 43:1-14). Jacob decided to leave the matter in God's hands, while following his usual strategy of preparing a lavish gift for the Egyptian official (see Prov 18:16).
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