And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:

and said, Ah! my lord, we came indeed down at the first to buy food.

and say, 'O, my lord, we really come down at the commencement to buy food;

And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;

they said: "We beg you, lord, to hear us. We came down once before to buy food.

Et dixerunt, Quaesumus, domine mi: descendendo descendimus in principio ad emendum escam.

O sir, we came indeed - to buy food - There is a frankness now in the conduct of Joseph's brethren that did not exist before; they simply and honestly relate the whole circumstance of the money being found in their sacks on their return from their last journey. Afflictions from the hand of God, and under his direction, have a wonderful tendency to humble the soul. Did men know how gracious his designs are in sending such, no murmur would ever be heard against the dispensations of Divine Providence.

And said, O sir,.... Or, "on me, my lord" (a), one said in the name of the rest, perhaps Judah, on me let the blame lie, if guilty of rudeness in making our address to thee; or as the Vulgate Latin version, "we pray, sir, that thou wouldest hear us"; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra say the phrase is expressive of beseeching, entreating, and supplicating:
we came indeed down at the first time to buy food; not to spy the land but to buy corn, and not to get it by fraud or tricking but by paying for it the price that was required.
(a) "in me Domine mi", Montanus.