וְהָרָעָ֖ב כָּבֵ֥ד בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
Ora, a fome era gravíssima na terra.
Radak on Genesis
והרעב, Yehudah said to his brothers not to argue with their aged father until there would be no more bread in the house at which time he would agree to send his son Binyamin with the brothers.