1 And the famine was sore in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another.
34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
1 And the famine H7458 was sore H3515 in the land. H776
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up H3615 H398 the corn H7668 which they had brought out H935 of Egypt, H4714 their father H1 said H559 unto them, Go again, H7725 buy H7666 us a little H4592 food. H400
3 And Judah H3063 spake H559 unto him, saying, H559 The man H376 did solemnly H5749 protest H5749 unto us, saying, H559 Ye shall not see H7200 my face, H6440 except H1115 your brother H251 be with you.
4 If thou wilt H3426 send H7971 our brother H251 with us, we will go down H3381 and buy H7666 thee food: H400
5 But if thou wilt not send H7971 him, we will not go down: H3381 for the man H376 said H559 unto us, Ye shall not see H7200 my face, H6440 except your brother H251 be with you.
6 And Israel H3478 said, H559 Wherefore dealt ye so ill H7489 with me, as to tell H5046 the man H376 whether ye had yet a brother? H251
7 And they said, H559 The man H376 asked H7592 us straitly H7592 of our state, and of our kindred, H4138 saying, H559 Is your father H1 yet alive? H2416 have ye H3426 another brother? H251 and we told H5046 him according H5921 to the tenor H6310 of these words: H1697 could we certainly H3045 know H3045 that he would say, H559 Bring H3381 your brother H251 down? H3381
8 And Judah H3063 said H559 unto Israel H3478 his father, H1 Send H7971 the lad H5288 with me, and we will arise H6965 and go; H3212 that we may live, H2421 and not die, H4191 both we, and thou, and also our little ones. H2945
9 I will be surety H6148 for him; of my hand H3027 shalt thou require H1245 him: if H518 I bring H935 him not H518 unto thee, and set H3322 him before thee, H6440 then let me bear the blame H2398 for ever: H3117
10 For except H3884 we had lingered, H4102 surely now we had returned H7725 this second time. H6471
11 And their father H1 Israel H3478 said H559 unto them, If it must be so now, H645 do H6213 this; take H3947 of the best fruits H2173 in the land H776 in your vessels, H3627 and carry down H3381 the man H376 a present, H4503 a little H4592 balm, H6875 and a little H4592 honey, H1706 spices, H5219 and myrrh, H3910 nuts, H992 and almonds: H8247
12 And take H3947 double H4932 money H3701 in your hand; H3027 and the money H3701 that was brought again H7725 in the mouth H6310 of your sacks, H572 carry it again H7725 in your hand; H3027 peradventure it was an oversight: H4870
13 Take H3947 also your brother, H251 and arise, H6965 go again H7725 unto the man: H376
14 And God H410 Almighty H7706 give H5414 you mercy H7356 before H6440 the man, H376 that he may send away H7971 your other H312 brother, H251 and Benjamin. H1144 If H834 I be bereaved H7921 of my children, I am bereaved. H7921
15 And the men H582 took H3947 that H2063 present, H4503 and they took H3947 double H4932 money H3701 in their hand, H3027 and Benjamin; H1144 and rose up, H6965 and went down H3381 to Egypt, H4714 and stood H5975 before H6440 Joseph. H3130
16 And when Joseph H3130 saw H7200 Benjamin H1144 with H854 them, he said H559 to the ruler of his house, H1004 Bring H935 these men H582 home, H1004 and slay, H2873 H2874 and make ready; H3559 for these men H582 shall dine H398 with me at noon. H6672
17 And the man H376 did H6213 as Joseph H3130 bade; H559 and the man H376 brought H935 the men H582 into Joseph's H3130 house. H1004
18 And the men H582 were afraid, H3372 because they were brought H935 into Joseph's H3130 house; H1004 and they said, H559 Because H1697 of the money H3701 that was returned H7725 in our sacks H572 at the first time H8462 are we brought in; H935 that he may seek occasion H1556 against us, and fall H5307 upon us, and take H3947 us for bondmen, H5650 and our asses. H2543
19 And they came near H5066 to the steward H376 of Joseph's H3130 house, H1004 and they communed H1696 with him at the door H6607 of the house, H1004
20 And said, H559 O H994 sir, H113 we came indeed H3381 down H3381 at the first time H8462 to buy H7666 food: H400
21 And it came to pass, when we came H935 to the inn, H4411 that we opened H6605 our sacks, H572 and, behold, every man's H376 money H3701 was in the mouth H6310 of his sack, H572 our money H3701 in full weight: H4948 and we have brought it again H7725 in our hand. H3027
22 And other H312 money H3701 have we brought down H3381 in our hands H3027 to buy H7666 food: H400 we cannot tell H3045 who put H7760 our money H3701 in our sacks. H572
23 And he said, H559 Peace H7965 be to you, fear H3372 not: your God, H430 and the God H430 of your father, H1 hath given H5414 you treasure H4301 in your sacks: H572 I had H935 your money. H3701 And he brought H3318 Simeon H8095 out unto them.
24 And the man H376 brought H935 the men H582 into Joseph's H3130 house, H1004 and gave H5414 them water, H4325 and they washed H7364 their feet; H7272 and he gave H5414 their asses H2543 provender. H4554
25 And they made ready H3559 the present H4503 against H5704 Joseph H3130 came H935 at noon: H6672 for they heard H8085 that they should eat H398 bread H3899 there.
26 And when Joseph H3130 came H935 home, H1004 they brought H935 him the present H4503 which was in their hand H3027 into the house, H1004 and bowed H7812 themselves to him to the earth. H776
27 And he asked H7592 them of their welfare, H7965 and said, H559 Is your father H1 well, H7965 the old man H2205 of whom ye spake? H559 Is he yet alive? H2416
28 And they answered, H559 Thy servant H5650 our father H1 is in good health, H7965 he is yet alive. H2416 And they bowed down their heads, H6915 and made obeisance. H7812
29 And he lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and saw H7200 his brother H251 Benjamin, H1144 his mother's H517 son, H1121 and said, H559 Is this your younger H6996 brother, H251 of whom ye spake H559 unto me? And he said, H559 God H430 be gracious H2603 unto thee, my son. H1121
30 And Joseph H3130 made haste; H4116 for his bowels H7356 did yearn H3648 upon his brother: H251 and he sought H1245 where to weep; H1058 and he entered H935 into his chamber, H2315 and wept H1058 there.
31 And he washed H7364 his face, H6440 and went out, H3318 and refrained H662 himself, and said, H559 Set on H7760 bread. H3899
32 And they set on H7760 for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, H4713 which did eat H398 with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians H4713 might H3201 not eat H398 bread H3899 with the Hebrews; H5680 for that is an abomination H8441 unto the Egyptians. H4714
33 And they sat H3427 before him, H6440 the firstborn H1060 according to his birthright, H1062 and the youngest H6810 according to his youth: H6812 and the men H582 marvelled H8539 one H376 at another. H7453
34 And he took H5375 and sent messes H4864 unto them from before him: H6440 but Benjamin's H1144 mess H4864 was five H2568 times H3027 so much as H7235 any of theirs. And they drank, H8354 and were merry H7937 with him.
1 And the famine was sore in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye `another' brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10 for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
12 and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spake unto him at the door of the house,
20 and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 and it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their asses provender.
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28 And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another.
34 And he took `and sent' messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
1 And the famine `is' severe in the land;
2 and it cometh to pass, when they have finished eating the corn which they brought from Egypt, that their father saith unto them, `Turn back, buy for us a little food.'
3 And Judah speaketh unto him, saying, `The man protesting protested to us, saying, Ye do not see my face without your brother `being' with you;
4 if thou art sending our brother with us, we go down, and buy for thee food,
5 and if thou art not sending -- we do not go down, for the man said unto us, Ye do not see my face without your brother `being' with you.'
6 And Israel saith, `Why did ye evil to me, by declaring to the man that ye had yet a brother?'
7 and they say, `The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?'
8 And Judah saith unto Israel his father, `Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants.
9 I -- I am surety `for' him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee -- then I have sinned against thee all the days;
10 for if we had not lingered, surely now we had returned these two times.'
11 And Israel their father saith unto them, `If so, now, this do: take of the praised thing of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds;
12 and double money take in your hand, even the money which is brought back in the mouth of your bags, ye take back in your hand, it may be it `is' an oversight.
13 `And take your brother, and rise, turn back unto the man;
14 and God Almighty give to you mercies before the man, so that he hath sent to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, when I am bereaved -- I am bereaved.'
15 And the men take this present, double money also they have taken in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rise, and go down to Egypt, and stand before Joseph;
16 and Joseph seeth Benjamin with them, and saith to him who `is' over his house, `Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal, and make ready, for with me do the men eat at noon.'
17 And the man doth as Joseph hath said, and the man bringeth in the men into the house of Joseph,
18 and the men are afraid because they have been brought into the house of Joseph, and they say, `For the matter of the money which was put back in our bags at the commencement are we brought in -- to roll himself upon us, and to throw himself on us, and to take us for servants -- our asses also.'
19 And they come nigh unto the man who `is' over the house of Joseph, and speak unto him at the opening of the house,
20 and say, `O, my lord, we really come down at the commencement to buy food;
21 and it cometh to pass, when we have come in unto the lodging-place, and open our bags, that lo, each one's money `is' in the mouth of his bag, our money in its weight, and we bring it back in our hand;
22 and other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food; we have not known who put our money in our bags.'
23 And he saith, `Peace to you, fear not: your God and the God of your father hath given to you hidden treasure in your bags, your money came unto me;' and he bringeth out Simeon unto them.
24 And the man bringeth in the men into Joseph's house, and giveth water, and they wash their feet; and he giveth provender for their asses,
25 and they prepare the present until the coming of Joseph at noon, for they have heard that there they do eat bread.
26 And Joseph cometh into the house, and they bring to him the present which `is' in their hand, into the house, and bow themselves to him, to the earth;
27 and he asketh of them of peace, and saith, `Is your father well? the aged man of whom ye have spoken, is he yet alive?'
28 and they say, `Thy servant our father `is' well, he is yet alive;' and they bow, and do obeisance.
29 And he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and saith, `Is this your young brother, of whom ye have spoken unto me?' and he saith, `God favour thee, my son.'
30 And Joseph hasteth, for his bowels have been moved for his brother, and he seeketh to weep, and entereth the inner chamber, and weepeth there;
31 and he washeth his face, and goeth out, and refraineth himself, and saith, `Place bread.'
32 And they place for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who are eating with him by themselves: for the Egyptians are unable to eat bread with the Hebrews, for it `is' an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 And they sit before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;
34 and he lifteth up gifts from before him unto them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, yea, they drink abundantly with him.
1 And the famine was grievous in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man did positively testify to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;
5 but if thou do not send [him], we will not go down, for the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.
6 And Israel said, Why did ye deal [so] ill with me [as] to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 And they said, The man asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8 And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him: of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thy face, then shall I be guilty toward thee for ever.
10 For had we not lingered, we should now certainly have returned already twice.
11 And their father Israel said to them, If it is then so, do this: take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a gift: a little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth and ladanum, pistacia-nuts and almonds.
12 And take other money in your hand, and the money that was returned to you in the mouth of your sacks, carry back in your hand: perhaps it is an oversight.
13 And take your brother, and arise, go again to the man.
14 And the Almighty ùGod give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin! And I, if I be bereaved of children, am bereaved.
15 And the men took that gift, and took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and came before Joseph.
16 And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and said to the [man] who was over his house, Bring the men into the house, and slaughter cattle, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph had said; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and said, Because of the money that was returned to us in our sacks at the beginning are we brought in, that he may turn against us, and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,
20 and said, Ah! my lord, we came indeed down at the first to buy food.
21 And it came to pass when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, [every] man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money according to its weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; your money came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses food.
25 And they made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well -- the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?
28 And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And they bowed, and made obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, my son!
30 And Joseph made haste, for his bowels burned for his brother; and he sought [a place] to weep, and he went into the chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and came out, and controlled himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another.
34 And he had portions carried to them from before him. And Benjamin's portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and made merry with him.
1 The famine was severe in the land.
2 It happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."
3 Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food,
5 but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'"
6 Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?"
7 They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'"
8 Judah said to Israel, his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.
9 I will be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don't bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,
10 for unless we had lingered, surely we would have returned a second time by now."
11 Their father, Israel, said to them, "If it be so now, do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
12 and take double money in your hand, with the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand. Perhaps it was an oversight.
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.
14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and make ready; for the men will dine with me at noon."
17 The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.
18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall on us, and take us for bondservants, along with our donkeys."
19 They came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,
20 and said, "Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 and it happened, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it again in our hand.
22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don't know who put our money in our sacks."
23 He said, "Peace be to you. Don't be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money." He brought Simeon out to them.
24 The man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.
25 They made ready the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?"
28 They said, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive." They bowed the head, and did homage.
29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" He said, "God be gracious to you, my son."
30 Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought a place to weep; and he entered into his room, and wept there.
31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, "Serve the meal."
32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians don't eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.
34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.
1 And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.
2 And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.
3 If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:
4 But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.
5 And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?
6 And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?
7 Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.
8 Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.
9 Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.
10 Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:
11 And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;
12 And take your brother and go back to the man:
13 And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.
14 So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.
15 And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.
16 And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.
17 Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.
18 So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,
19 And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;
20 And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;
21 As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.
22 Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.
23 And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.
24 And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.
25 And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.
26 And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?
27 And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.
28 Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.
29 Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.
30 Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.
31 And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.
32 And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.
33 And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Genesis 43
Commentary on Genesis 43 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 43
This chapter informs us how that the famine continued in the land of Canaan, and the corn that Jacob's family had from Egypt being consumed, Jacob pressed his sons to go down for more, which they refused to do, unless Benjamin was sent with them, for whose safety Judah offered to become a surety, Genesis 43:1; Jacob with reluctance was prevailed upon to let him go, and dismissed them with a present to the governor of Egypt, and with double money to buy corn with, and with his blessing upon them, Genesis 43:11; upon which they set out for Egypt; and when they came into the presence of Joseph, he seeing Benjamin with them, ordered his steward to have them to his house, and get dinner ready, it being his pleasure that they should dine with him that day, Genesis 43:15; this threw them into a fright, supposing they were going to be called to an account for the money they found in their sacks; wherefore they related to the steward very particularly the whole of that affair, who bid them not be uneasy, for he had had their money; and as a proof that things would go well with them, brought Simeon out to them, and treated them very kindly and gently, Genesis 43:18; and having got their present ready against Joseph came home, they delivered it to him with great veneration and submission; who asked of the welfare of their father, and whether that was not their younger brother they spoke of, the sight of whom so affected him, that he was obliged in haste to retire to his chamber, and weep, Genesis 43:25; and having washed his face, and composed himself, he returned and ordered dinner to be brought, which was set on different tables, one for himself and the Egyptians, and the other for his brethren, whom he placed according to their age, to their great surprise; and sent them messes from his table to each, and to Benjamin five times more than the rest, and they were so liberally entertained, that they became cheerful and merry, Genesis 43:31.
And the famine was sore in the land. In the land of Canaan; it increased yet more and more: this is observed for the sake of what follows, showing the reason and necessity of Jacob's sons taking a second journey into Egypt.
And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt,.... Which, in so numerous a family as Jacob's was, having so many children, grandchildren, and servants, what nine men on so many asses could bring with them must be consumed in a short time, how long cannot be said; no doubt they lived sparingly on it in such a time of scarcity, to make it last as long as they could, and perhaps only he, his children and grandchildren, might eat of it; the servants, as Calvin observes, might live on meaner food, as acorns, herbs, and roots; and it must not be thought that all this corn was eaten up entirely, and none left, but the far greater part of it, and but very little remaining; or otherwise, how should Jacob, and his sons' wives and children be supported until the return of his sons from Egypt with fresh provisions? indeed it may be supposed, that the land of Canaan produced some corn, though but little; and it is certain there were other fruits which were serviceable for food, as appears from Genesis 43:11,
their father said, go again, buy us a little food; just enough for him, and them, and theirs, for the present; hoping that the famine would be over quickly, and therefore orders them to go once more to Egypt, and buy some provisions: they made no motion themselves to go, as it is highly probable they determined they would not, since Jacob had resolved Benjamin should not go, but waited for their father's motion, and which he did not make until necessity obliged him.
And Judah spake unto him,.... Reuben the eldest son had met with a repulse already, Genesis 42:36; Simeon the next was now in Egypt, Genesis 42:24, and Levi, perhaps on account of the affair of Shechem, Genesis 34:25, did not yet stand well in his father's favour and affection; wherefore Judah being next, with the consent of his brethren, undertakes to manage the affair with him, who had doubtless an interest in him, as well as authority among his brethren, and was a prudent man, and could speak well:
saying, the man did solemnly protest unto us; meaning Joseph, though he then knew not that it was he; whom he calls "the man", not by way of contempt, or as thinking and speaking meanly of him, but the reverse, the great man, the honourable man, the governor of Egypt; and so the Septuagint version adds, "the man, the lord of the land"; he in the strongest terms, and in the most solemn manner, protested by the life of Pharaoh:
saying, ye shall not see my face; with acceptance, should not be admitted to come near him, or treat with him, and purchase any corn of him:
except your brother be with you; their youngest brother Benjamin.
If thou wilt send our brother with us,.... Give orders for his going with us, and put him under our care:
we will go down and buy thee food; signifying, on the above condition, that they were ready and willing to take a journey into Egypt, and buy provisions for him and his family, otherwise not.
But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down,.... This they said not as undutiful, and from a spirit of rebellion and disobedience to their father, or of stubbornness and obstinacy, but because they durst not go down, nor could they with any safety; they might expect to be taken up as spies, and put to death as they were threatened; and besides, it would be in vain, and to no purpose, since there was no likelihood of succeeding, or of getting any provision:
for the man said unto us, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you; which they repeat both for the confirmation of it, and as an apology for themselves, to clear them from any charge of unfaithfulness.
And Israel said,.... In answer to the speech of Judah:
wherefore dealt ye so ill with me; had done that which brought so much evil upon him, gave him so much grief and trouble, and threw him into such perplexity and distress, that he knew not what to do, or course to take:
as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? which he thought was done imprudently and unadvisedly, and that there was no need of it; which, had it not been done, would have prevented this anxiety of mind he was now in, and the mischief he feared would follow.1
And Judah said unto Israel his father, send the lad with me,
and we will arise and go,.... Directly to Egypt for corn; Judah calls Benjamin a lad, because the youngest brother, and tenderly brought up by his father, who had an affectionate fondness for him as if he had been a child; otherwise he must be thirty two years of age, for he was seven years younger than Joseph, who was now thirty nine years of age; yea, Benjamin must have children of his own, who went with him and his father into Egypt, Genesis 46:21; for the computation of Benjamin's age, see Genesis 30:22,
that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones; he argues, that if they with Benjamin went down to Egypt for corn, there was a possibility, yea, a probability that they would all live, even Benjamin also; but if not, they must all in course die, and Benjamin likewise; and therefore it was most prudent and advisable, for the sake of all their lives, of them and theirs, and for the sake of Benjamin among the rest, for whom Jacob was so particularly concerned, to let him go with them to Egypt for corn, since he must die if they did not go, and he could but die if he did go; and there was great likelihood, if not a certainty, he would not; at least Judah was confident he would not, as appears by what follows.
I will be surety for him,.... Engage for his safe return:
of my hand shall thou require him; I will be answerable for him:
if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thee: do not return him from Egypt, and bring him to Canaan, into his father's house and presence safe, and sound:
then let me bear the blame for ever; of persuading his father to let him go with him; all this he said, to show what care he would take of him, and what confidence he had that no evil would befall him, that he would be returned with them in safety; which he might ground upon the assurance that Joseph had given, that they should not die if they brought their brother with them, Genesis 42:20; and perhaps Judah, as Schmidt thinks, might be under a special instinct of divine Providence, which directed him to say these things: and it may be added, that Jacob also might be under a divine impulse, which influenced him to regard what Judah said, or otherwise his suretyship was but a poor security, and of little avail.
For except we had lingered,.... Delayed going down to Egypt, through the demur Jacob made of tending Benjamin with them:
surely now we had returned this second time; they would have made their journey to Egypt, and returned again with their corn, and their brother Benjamin too, as Judah supposed, before this time; so that by these delays they were losing time, and involving themselves and families in distress for want of corn.
And their father said unto them,.... Being in some measure convinced by their reasonings, and in part at least reconciled to let Benjamin go with them, there being nothing to be done, he perceived, unless he consented to it:
if it must be so now, do this; if nothing else will do but Benjamin must go, which after all he was reluctant to, then he advises them to do as follows:
take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels; such as were the peculiar produce of the land of Canaan, and the best of it; for which it was most famous, and praised, as the word used signifies; these Jacob advises to take and put into their sacks they carried to bring back their corn in:
and carry down the man a present; the great man and governor of Egypt, whose name was not known, little thinking it was his son Joseph; this he proposed to be done, in order to procure his friendship, that he might carry it kindly and respectfully to them, release Simeon, and send back Benjamin with them. The present consisted of the following things:
a little balm: or rosin, of which there was great quantity in and about Gilead; See Gill on Jeremiah 8:22,
and a little honey; the land of Canaan in general is called a land flowing with milk and honey; and some parts of it were famous for it, as the, parts about Ziph, called from thence the honey of ZiphimF9Misn. Machshirin, c. 5. sect. 9. : this is the first time mention is made of "honey" in Scripture. Some sayF11"Et a Baccho mella reperta ferunt", Ovid. Fast. l. 3. Bacchus was the inventor of it. JustinF12E Trogo, l. 44. c. 4. makes a very ancient king of a people in the country, now called Spain, to whom he gives the name of Gorgoris, to be the first that found out the way of gathering honey; but by this it appears to be of a more early date. Dr. ShawF13Travels, p. 339. No. 6. Ed. 2. thinks, that not honey, properly so called, is meant, but a kind of "rob" made of the juice of grapes, called by the Arabs "dibsa", a word near in sound with, and from the same root as this. And who further observes, that Hebron alone (the place were Jacob now was) sends every year to Egypt three hundred camel loads, i.e. near two thousand quintals of this rob: and Leo Africanus saysF14Descriptio Africae, l. 8. p. 682. , there is but little honey to be found in Egypt, wherefore it made this part of the present the more acceptable:
spices; of various sorts, a collection of them; though it is thought, by Bochart and others, that the "storax" is particularly meant; the best of that sort being, as PlinyF15Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 25. says in Judea. The Targum and Jarchi take it to be "wax", as do also other Jewish writers:
and myrrh; the liquor called "stacte", that drops from the myrrh tree. Some will have this "lot", as the word is, the same with "ladanum"; one should rather think that it should be the lotus or lote tree, the fruit of which, PlinyF16Ib. l. 13. c. 17. says, is the size of a bean, and of a saffron colour, and HerodotusF17Melpomene, sive, l. 4. c. 177. Vid. Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 92. says, it is sweet like a date; but that it was frequent in Egypt, and needed not be carried there. The Targum renders it "chestnuts", and so Ben Melech, as it does what follows:
nuts, and almonds, the oil of nuts, and the oil of almonds: the former design not common, but the pistachio nuts, as Jarchi observes from R. Machir; and these, as PlinyF18Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 5. says, were well known in Syria, and were good for food and drink, and against the bites of serpents; and, as BochartF19Canaan, l. 1. c. 10. col. 389. observes, are frequently mentioned by naturalists along with almonds, and as like unto them.
And take double money in your hand,.... Than what they carried before, either to buy as much more as they then did; or rather because of the greater scarcity of corn, as Jarchi observes, which made it doubly dearer; for this seems to be different from the money they are also bid to take in return for that found in their sacks, which was a third parcel, as follows:
and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; that it might be ready to pay upon demand, should they be charged with nonpayment for the corn they had before:
peradventure it was an oversight; a mistake of the governors, or of those that were under him, concerned in the sale of the corn, and receiving money for it, or of Jacob's sons; he could not tell how it was, but some way or other he supposed a mistake was made.
Take also your brother,.... Their brother Benjamin, committing him into their hands and to their care, hereby declaring his consent and willingness that he should go with them:
and arise, go again to the man; the governor of Egypt, to buy corn of him.
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man,.... Who has the hearts of all men in his hands, kings, princes, governors, even those who are the most cruel and hardhearted, rough and severe in their tempers and dispositions, and such an one they had represented this man to be; one that had spoke roughly to them, and used them roughly: Jacob therefore sent him a present to soften his mind, and now he puts up a prayer to God, and dismisses his sons with his good wishes for them, that God would incline the heart of the governor to show kindness to them, and let them have corn, nor use any of them ill: particularly:
that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin; release Simeon, and send him and Benjamin aiming with them when they returned:
if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved; this he said, not as utterly despairing of their return, but as expressive of his patient submission to the divine will, be it as it may be.
And the men took the present,.... Their father directed them to:
and they took double money in their hand; besides what they found in their sacks mouths, which they also carried with them:
and Benjamin; they took him likewise with their father's leave:
and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph; presented themselves to him, and their petitions for more corn, as well as to answer to any questions that should be asked them.
And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them,.... Whom he knew, though he had not seen him twenty two years, and though he must be very much altered, being but about ten years of age when Joseph was said into Egypt, yet being with the rest of his brethren, whom he knew very well, concluded it must be him:
he said to the ruler of his house; his steward, as be is after called, not his son Manasseh, as the Targum of Jonathan:
bring these men home; to his own house, for Joseph was now at or near the place where were the granaries of corn, and where that was said and distributed:
and slay, and make ready; or "slay a slaughter"F20טבח טבח "macta mactationem", Drusius, Schmidt; "macta animalia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. , that is, of beasts for food; a sheep, or a lamb, or a calf, very probably, and order it to be dressed, boiled or roasted, or both, that it might be fit for food: wherefore Aben Ezra must be mistaken when Genesis 46:34; he says, that the Egyptians in those times did not eat flesh, nor might any kill a sheep; for it cannot be thought that Joseph could order a dinner for his brethren, to whom as yet he did not choose to make himself known, in direct violation of the customs and laws of Egypt, and who, it is plain by what follows, dined as an Egyptian, and with the Egyptians, and not as an Hebrew, and with his brethren as Hebrews; besides, for what purpose did Pharaoh get and possess such herds and flocks of cattle, if not for food as well as other uses? see Genesis 47:6; though in later times they abstained from eating various animals, as PorphyryF21De abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 6, 7. from Chaeremon relates, and particularly from sheep and goats, according to JuvenalF24"-----lanatis animalibus abstinet omnis Mensa, nefas illic foetus jugulare capellae." Satyr 15. ver. 11, 12. :
for these men shall dine with me at noon; which was the usual time of dining with the eastern people, as it is now with us, though with the Romans at evening.
And the man did as Joseph bade: and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. Showed them the way to it, and introduced them into it, and led them into some apartment in it, and ordered every thing to be got ready for dinner as his master had bid him, being a diligent and faithful servant: at old Cair is shown to travellersF25Radzivil, Thevenot, Le Brun & Lucas apud Jablonski de Terra Goshen, Dissert. 5. sect. 6. the house of Joseph in the tower, and a very surprising well, said to be made by him, and here, they say; the granaries were, in which the corn was laid up.
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house,.... It not being usual, as Jarchi observes, for those that came to buy corn to lodge there, but at an inn in the city:
and they said, because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; to examine and inquire of them how they came to go away without paying for their corn, take up their money again after they had laid it down, and take it away with them, and so were guilty of tricking and defrauding, if not of theft:
that he may seek occasion against us: or "roll on us"F26להתנלל עלינו "ut devolvat (hoc) in nos", Tigurine version. ; cast all the shame on them, and leave the reproach and scandal of it on them:
and fall upon us; with hard words, and severe menaces, if not with blows:
and take us for bondmen, and our asses; imprison them, which was the punishment for fraud and theft, and take their asses as a forfeiture.
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house,.... The same person before called the ruler of his house, under whose direction they were; just before they came to the house, as it seems by what follows, they made up to him as having something to say to him:
and they communed with him at the door of the house; before they went into it, being uneasy and eager to know what should be the meaning of their being brought thither, which was unusual.
And said, O sir,.... Or, "on me, my lord"F1בי אדני "in me Domine mi", Montanus. , 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.
And it came to pass when we came to the inn,.... Upon the road, on the first day's journey, to refresh themselves and their cattle:
that we opened our sacks; to give provender to our cattle; by which it appears that they all did this, though it is only said of one of them at the inn, and of all of them when they came home, Genesis 42:27,
and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; nothing wanting of it; it being usual in those times to pay money by weight, and not by the tale of pieces:
and we have brought it again in our hand; in order to pay it for the corn we have had, having no design to defraud.
And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food,.... Double money for a double quantity, or because the price of corn was now doubled; and their bringing this besides the other showed their honest and upright intentions:
we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks; we are quite ignorant of it, and can by no means account for it, and therefore hope no blame will be laid on us.
And he said, peace be unto you, fear not,.... Do not be uneasy and disturbed, you have nothing to fear, you are in no danger:
your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks; the hidden treasure, as the word signifies, found in their sacks; was there by the providence of God, so disposing the heart of Joseph to order it to be put there, as the steward interpreted it; who by being Joseph's family had got some knowledge of the true God, and of his all wise and disposing Providence:
I had your money; he received it of them, which he acknowledges, and that was sufficient to acquit them from guile and theft, though he does not say that he put the money into their sacks, or by whose order it was done:
and he brought Simeon out unto them; either out of prison, or out of some other room to them, which was, no doubt, done by the direction of Joseph.
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house,.... After the above discourse had passed between them, and he had made their minds easy, both with respect to the money, and by bringing Simeon unbound to them:
and gave them water, and they washed their feet; which was usually done in the eastern countries after travelling, and when about to take a meal, and was both for refreshment and cleanliness:
and he gave their asses provender; thus were they hospitably entertained, they and all that belonged to them.
And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon,.... They took it out of their vessels or bags in which they brought it, having unladen their asses, and disposed of it in a proper manner to present it to him when he came home at noon to dine:
for they heard that they should eat bread there; dine there, bread being put for all provision: this was told them, very probably, by the steward, or by some of the servants in the house, or they overheard what Joseph said to the steward, Genesis 43:16.
And when Joseph came home,.... In order to dine, it being noontime:
they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house; everyone took a part of it in his hand, and brought it to Joseph in the parlour where he was, and delivered it to him as a present from their father, or from themselves, or it may be as from both:
and bowed themselves to him to the earth; in the most prostrate and humble manner, now again fulfilling his dream, and more completely than before, for now all his eleven brethren were together, signified by the eleven stars in the dream, that made obeisance to him, see Genesis 37:9.
And he asked them of their welfare,.... Or "peace"F2לשלום "ad pacem", Montanus, "de pace", Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator, Schmidt. , their prosperity, especially of the health of their bodies, whether they were well and in good health after so long a journey:
and said, is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? when they were with him before, and told him they were all the sons of one man, who dwelt in Canaan:
is he yet alive? which he was very desirous of knowing; for, being advanced in years, he might fear he was removed by death in the time between their going and returning.
And they answered, thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive,.... Which is an answer to both his questions; and by calling their father Joseph's servant, he did obeisance to him in them, as well as by sending a present to him, which they delivered as coming from him his servant; and it is not improbable that Jacob sent his salutation to him as his servant, and so that part of the dream of Joseph's was also fulfilled, which represented the sun doing obeisance to him, Genesis 37:9,
and they bowed their heads, and made obeisance; a second time, as they did, no doubt, at every time they gave answer to Joseph's questions; and this is again observed, to show the full completion of the above dream.
And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin,.... He had seen him before when his brethren first presented themselves to him, but then took no particular and special notice of him, only gave him a side look as it were, but now he looked wistly at him:
his mother's son; the son of Rachel his mother, and who was his only brother by his mother's side, the rest, though his brethren, yet only by his father's side, not his mother's sons:
and said, is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? he knew he was the same, but was willing to have it from their mouths, to lead on to what he had further to say:
and he said; after they had answered his question, and told him it was he:
God be gracious unto thee, my son; speaking as a superior, a governor, in which capacity he was a father to his inferiors; and as a man, a relation, a brother, though not as yet discovered; he spoke in the most tender and affectionate manner, and, as a religious good man, he wishes the best thing he could for his brother, the grace and goodness of God; and which may be understood in the largest and most expressive sense, as including all good things, temporal, spiritual, and eternal.
And Joseph made haste,.... To get out of the room where he was with his brethren as fast as he could:
for his bowels did yearn upon his brother; his passions grew strong, his affections were raised, his heart was full of tenderness, and there was such a flow of love and joy at the sight of his brother, and the little conversation he had with him, that he was ready to burst out, and must have discovered himself if he had not immediately turned and got out of the room:
and he sought where to weep; a proper place to vent his passion in tears of joy, and relieve himself
and he entered into his chamber, and wept there; where he could be the most retired, and not likely to be overheard.
And he washed his face,.... From the tears on it, that it might not be discerned that he had been weeping:
and went out; of his chamber into the room again, where his brethren were:
and refrained himself; from weeping, or showing any excess of passion, love, joy, &c.
and said, set on bread; gave orders to his servants to bring in dinner, and set it upon the table; bread, as before, being put for all kind of food.
And they set on for him by himself,.... A table was placed and provisions set upon it in one part of the room for Joseph by himself; which was done either because he was an Hebrew, and the Egyptians might not eat with him, nor he with them; or rather for the sake of grandeur, he being the next man in the kingdom to Pharaoh:
and for them by themselves; another table was placed and spread for Joseph's brethren by themselves, the reason of which is after given:
and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves; a third table was laid for such Egyptian noblemen and others, who were at this time Joseph's guests, or used to dine with him:
because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians; the reason of which, as given by the Targums of Onkelos and, Jonathan, is, because the creatures the Egyptians worshipped the Hebrews eat; but it is a question whether such creatures as oxen, sheep, goats, &c. which were eaten by the Hebrews, were so early worshipped by the Egyptians; though they were in later times, and particularly the Apis or ox, which is supposed by many to be worshipped on the account of Joseph, and so after his time; rather the abhorrence the Egyptians had the Hebrews in was on account of their being shepherds, on a political account, they having before this time suffered much by the insurrections and rebellions of such sort of persons among themselves, who set up a kingdom and kings of their own, called the "Hycsi", or pastor kings: or else this difference made between the Egyptians and Hebrews at eating, was not on account of what they did eat, as of the certain rites and customs the Egyptians had peculiar to themselves in dressing their food, and eating it; and therefore would not eat with any of another nation; so that this was not any particular distaste they had to the Hebrews, but was their usage towards men of all nations; for so Herodotus saysF3Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 41. , that"no Egyptian, man or woman, might kiss the month of a Greek, or use a knife, or spit, or pot;'that is, a knife a Greek had cut anything with, or a spit he had roasted meat on, or a pot he had boiled it in; and adds,"nor might taste of the flesh of an ox, cut with the knife of a Greek.'And indeed they would not eat nor converse with any of another religionF4Chaeremon apud Porphyr. de abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 6. , be they who they would.
And they sat before him,.... At a table, so placed that they were in his sight, and he had a full view of them:
the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; everyone according to his age, Reuben, the firstborn, first, and so on to Benjamin the youngest: thus they placed themselves as they used to be in their father's family, or they were so placed by Joseph; and if this was the case, it may be a reason, and a principal one, of what follows:
and the men marvelled one at another; not the Egyptians, the guests of Joseph, seeing eleven brethren placed in this manner, and these being Hebrews, taken so much notice of; but Joseph's brethren, who either wondered at the manner of their being seated so regular, according to their age; or at the honour done them to dine with the governor, and at the grandeur of the entertainment, and at the separate manner in which the governor, and the nobles of Egypt, sat at meals; or at what follows.
And he took and sent messes unto there from before him,.... The several dishes were brought before him, who cut them up, and sent to everyone their part and portion, as was usual in those times and countries, and afterwards elsewhereF5Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 1. , for the master of the family or feast to divide the food into parts, and to give to every guest his part; and these were called, from their being sent, "missus", and from whence seems to be our English word "messes", here used:
but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs; which was done out of his great affection to him, being his own brother both by father and mother's side; and, as some think, to try his brethren, how they stood affected to Benjamin, and observe if this did not raise their envy to him, as his father's particular respect to him had raised it in them against himself; and that, if it should, he might provide for his safety, lest they should use him in like manner as they had used him. This undoubtedly was designed as a peculiar favour, and a mark of special honour and respect, it being usual for princes to send messes from their tables to such as they favoured; and particularly it was usual with the Egyptians for their kings to have double messes more than the rest, in honour of them, as HerodotusF6Erato, sive, l. 6. c. 57. relates: Benjamin's mess consisted either of five parts, or it was five times bigger than what was sent to the rest; not but that they had all what was sufficient; there was no want to any, but great plenty of everything for them all; nor was this designed Benjamin, that he should eat the larger quantity, only to show him distinguishing respect:
and they drank, and were merry with him; after dinner they drank wine liberally and plentifully, but not to excess and intemperance, yet so as to be cheerful and in good spirits; their fears being all dissipated by this generous entertainment they met with.