Genesis 44:1-34 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

Genesis 44. Benjamin is Accused of Stealing Joseph's Silver Cup, and Judah Pleads with Joseph to Punish him instead of Benjamin. The narrative is from J. Joseph arranges this final test that he may be fully assured as to the true disposition of the brothers. At the same time, it is skilfully planned to prolong their suspense, swing them to and fro between hope and despair, and harrow them in their tenderest feelings. They have come safely through a rather perilous situation, Simeon has been restored to them, the trouble about the money cleared away, Benjamin is safely on the road for home, the Viceroy finally, it seems, convinced of their honesty and friendly in his attitude. But they have not left the city far behind when the steward overtakes them, and confronts them with a new and horrible complication: they have stolen Joseph's cup, his drinking cup, but also used for divination. Indignantly repudiating such an abuse of hospitality, appealing to their return of the money, they offer, conscious of their innocence, to accept death for the culprit and slavery for the rest. The steward replies that it shall be slavery for the culprit, freedom for the others. He knows where the cup is, for he has hidden it, and therefore leaves Benjamin's sack till the last. Sack after sack is opened and searched, time after time, with no result, while the spirits of the brothers rise. Then, when it seems as if their innocence was to be established, for one sack alone remains, and that Benjamin's, they are suddenly plunged into the blackest despair. It could not be worse: Benjamin was the most favoured of Joseph's guests, and Jacob's happiness, perhaps his life, hung on his return. Not accepting the freedom promised (Genesis 44:10) (for how could they go back without Benjamin ?), they all return, and Judah offers, not now that the culprit shall die, for it is Benjamin, and the rest be slaves, but that Benjamin shall be a slave and they forfeit the liberty pledged to them. Joseph reaffirms the steward's conditions (Genesis 44:10). Not that he desired to keep Benjamin and dismiss the others (it would have been unfilial to inflict this bereavement on Jacob), but to ascertain their response to this demand. It comes in a plea from Judah, unequalled in the OT for its blending of skilled presentation of the case, pathos, persuasiveness, and eloquence, culminating with the noble offer to remain as a slave in Benjamin's place, that his father may be spared the agony of losing Rachel's only surviving son.

Genesis 44:5. That it is a divining cup adds the guilt of sacrilege and the peril of meddling with the uncanny. Whether Joseph really used it in divination (cf. Genesis 44:15) or merely heightened their terror by claiming to do so is not clear.

Genesis 44:20. a little one: in Genesis 46:21 he is at the time father of ten sons, and assuming that Joseph had been twenty-two years in Egypt (Genesis 37:2; Genesis 41:46; Genesis 41:53; Genesis 45:6) and that Benjamin was born before Joseph was sold, he must have been more than twenty-two. The difficulty is greatly mitigated if P's chronology is set aside, and J may have regarded Benjamin as born after the sale of Joseph.

Genesis 44:30. Read mg.

XLV. Joseph Discloses his Identity and Sends for Jacob. J and E are here closely united, E being the leading source. It is not worth while to discuss the analysis. Profoundly moved by Judah's noble plea, Joseph can no longer mystify his brothers, or repress his longing to reveal his identity. But this self-disclosure is too intimate, too sacred, to be made while others are present. When they have obeyed his order to depart, he bursts into uncontrolled weeping, and then, to the consternation of the brothers, declares that he is Joseph. In a fine and reassuring speech he bids them not be troubled, for God's hand was in it all, to save them in the famine. Then he tells them to return, inform Jacob, and invite him to come with all his family and possessions. This invitation was endorsed by Pharaoh in most cordial and generous terms. So they go with handsome presents for themselves and their father. The news is too good for Jacob to believe it till he sees the wagons Joseph has sent, and then he is reassured, happy that he will see his long-lost son before his death. It is assumed in Genesis 50:17 that Jacob learnt of the wrong Joseph had suffered from his brothers.

Genesis 44:10. Goshen: a fertile district E. of the Delta and near the frontier, part of what is now known as Wady Tumilat. It is mentioned only in J.

Genesis 44:24 b. Do not dispute about the apportionment of blame for your treatment of me.

Genesis 44:26. his heart fainted: his mind was too numb to grasp it.

Related Commentaries of Genesis 44:1

Genesis 44:1-34

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.

11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.