שִׁלְח֨וּ מִכֶּ֣ם אֶחָד֮ וְיִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחִיכֶם֒ וְאַתֶּם֙ הֵאָ֣סְר֔וּ וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙ דִּבְרֵיכֶ֔ם הַֽאֱמֶ֖ת אִתְּכֶ֑ם וְאִם־לֹ֕א חֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֥י מְרַגְּלִ֖ים אַתֶּֽם׃
Dépêchez l’un de vous pour qu’il aille quérir votre frère et vous, restez prisonniers: on appréciera alors la sincérité de vos paroles. Autrement, par Pharaon! vous êtes des espions."
On the Migration of Abraham
[162] Of his proneness to face both ways you may get an idea from the oaths which he is represented as taking, at one moment swearing “yea by the health of Pharaoh” (Gen. 42:16) and then on the contrary, “no, by the health of Pharaoh” (Gen. 42:15). The oath containing the negative is one that his father’s house would prescribe, being always a mortal foe to passion and wishing it dead; the other oath is one that Egypt might prescribe, for passion’s welfare is dear to it.