Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Genesis » Chapter 44 » Verse 18-34

Genesis 44:18-34 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

18 Then Judah H3063 came near H5066 unto him, and said, H559 Oh H994 my lord, H113 let thy servant, H5650 I pray thee, speak H1696 a word H1697 in my lord's H113 ears, H241 and let not thine anger H639 burn H2734 against thy servant: H5650 for thou art even as Pharaoh. H6547

19 My lord H113 asked H7592 his servants, H5650 saying, H559 Have H3426 ye a father, H1 or a brother? H251

20 And we said H559 unto my lord, H113 We have H3426 a father, H1 an old man, H2205 and a child H3206 of his old age, H2208 a little one; H6996 and his brother H251 is dead, H4191 and he alone is left H3498 of his mother, H517 and his father H1 loveth H157 him.

21 And thou saidst H559 unto thy servants, H5650 Bring him down H3381 unto me, that I may set H7760 mine eyes H5869 upon him.

22 And we said H559 unto my lord, H113 The lad H5288 cannot H3201 leave H5800 his father: H1 for if he should leave H5800 his father, H1 his father would die. H4191

23 And thou saidst H559 unto thy servants, H5650 Except H3808 your youngest H6996 brother H251 come down H3381 with you, ye shall see H7200 H3254 my face H6440 no more. H7200 H3254

24 And it came to pass when we came up H5927 unto thy servant H5650 my father, H1 we told H5046 him the words H1697 of my lord. H113

25 And our father H1 said, H559 Go again, H7725 and buy H7666 us a little H4592 food. H400

26 And we said, H559 We cannot H3201 go down: H3381 if our youngest H6996 brother H251 be H3426 with us, then will we go down: H3381 for we may H3201 not see H7200 the man's H376 face, H6440 except H369 our youngest H6996 brother H251 be with us.

27 And thy servant H5650 my father H1 said H559 unto us, Ye know H3045 that my wife H802 bare H3205 me two H8147 sons:

28 And the one H259 went out H3318 from me, and I said, H559 Surely H2963 he is torn in pieces; H2963 and I saw him H7200 not since: H2008

29 And if ye take H3947 this also from H5973 me, H6440 and mischief H611 befall him, H7136 ye shall bring down H3381 my gray hairs H7872 with sorrow H7451 to the grave. H7585

30 Now therefore when I come H935 to thy servant H5650 my father, H1 and the lad H5288 be not with us; seeing that his life H5315 is bound up H7194 in the lad's life; H5315

31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth H7200 that the lad H5288 is not with us, that he will die: H4191 and thy servants H5650 shall bring down H3381 the gray hairs H7872 of thy servant H5650 our father H1 with sorrow H3015 to the grave. H7585

32 For thy servant H5650 became surety H6148 for the lad H5288 unto H5973 my father, H1 saying, H559 If I bring H935 him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame H2398 to my father H1 for ever. H3117

33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant H5650 abide H3427 instead of the lad H5288 a bondman H5650 to my lord; H113 and let the lad H5288 go up H5927 with his brethren. H251

34 For how H349 shall I go up H5927 to my father, H1 and the lad H5288 be not with me? lest peradventure I see H7200 the evil H7451 that shall come on H4672 my father. H1

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 44

Commentary on Genesis 44 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verse 1-2

The Test. - After the dinner Joseph had his brothers' sacks filled by his steward with corn, as much as they could hold, and every one's money placed inside; and in addition to that, had his own silver goblet put into Benjamin's sack.


Verses 3-6

Then as soon as it was light ( אור , 3rd pers. perf. in o: Ges. §72, 1), they were sent away with their asses. But they were hardly outside the town, “not far off,” when he directed his steward to follow the men, and as soon as he overtook them, to say, “ Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is it not this from which my lord drinketh, and he is accustomed to prophesy from it? Ye have done an evil deed! ” By these words they were accused of theft; the thing was taken for granted as well known to them all, and the goblet purloined was simply described as a very valuable possession of Joseph's. נחשׁ : lit., to whisper, to mumble out formularies, incantations, then to prophesy, divinare . According to this, the Egyptians at that time practised λεκανοσκοπίη or λεκανομαντεία and ὑδρομαντεία , the plate and water incantations, of which Jamblichus speaks ( de myst . iii. 14), and which consisted in pouring clean water into a goblet, and then looking into the water for representations of future events; or in pouring water into a goblet or dish, dropping in pieces of gold and silver, also precious stones, and then observing and interpreting the appearances in the water (cf. Varro apud August. civ. Dei 7, 35; Plin. h. n. 37, 73; Strabo , xvi. p. 762). Traces of this have been continued even to our own day (see Norden's Journey through Egypt and Nubia). But we cannot infer with certainty from this, that Joseph actually adopted this superstitious practice. The intention of the statement may simply have been to represent the goblet as a sacred vessel, and Joseph as acquainted with the most secret things (Genesis 44:15).


Verses 7-9

In the consciousness of their innocence the brethren repelled this charge with indignation, and appealed to the fact that they brought back the gold which was found in their sacks, and therefore could not possibly have stolen gold or silver; and declared that whoever should be found in possession of the goblet, should be put to death, and the rest become slaves.


Verse 10

The man replied, “ Now let it be even ( גּם placed first for the sake of emphasis) according to your words: with whom it is found, he shall be my slave, and ye (the rest) shall remain blameless .” Thus he modified the sentence, to assume the appearance of justice.


Verses 11-13

They then took down their sacks as quickly as possible; and he examined them, beginning with the eldest and finishing with the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack. With anguish and alarm at this new calamity they rent their clothes (vid., Genesis 37:34), loaded their asses again, and returned to the city. It would now be seen how they felt in their inmost hearts towards their father's favourite, who had been so distinguished by the great man of Egypt: whether now as formerly they were capable of giving up their brother, and bringing their aged father with sorrow to the grave; or whether they were ready, with unenvying, self-sacrificing love, to give up their own liberty and lives for him. And they stood this test.


Verses 14-17

Result of the Test. - Genesis 44:14-17. With Judah leading the way, they came into the house to Joseph, and fell down before him begging for mercy. Joseph spoke to them harshly: “ What kind of deed is this that ye have done? Did ye not know that such a man as I (a man initiated into the most secret things) would certainly divine this? ” נחשׁ augurari . Judah made no attempt at a defence. “ What shall we say to my lord? how speak, how clear ourselves? God ( Ha-Elohim , the personal God) has found out the wickedness of thy servants (i.e., He is now punishing the crime committed against our brother, cf. Genesis 42:21). Behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and he in whose hand the cup was found .” But Joseph would punish mildly and justly. The guilty one alone should be his slave; the others might go in peace, i.e., uninjured, to their father.


Verses 18-20

But that the brothers could not do. Judah, who had pledged himself to his father for Benjamin, ventured in the anguish of his heart to approach Joseph, and implore him to liberate his brother. “I would give very much,” says Luther , “to be able to pray to our Lord God as well as Judah prays to Joseph here; for it is a perfect specimen of prayer, the true feeling that there ought to be in prayer.” Beginning with the request for a gracious hearing, as he was speaking to the ears of one who was equal to Pharaoh (who could condemn or pardon like the king), Judah depicted in natural, affecting, powerful, and irresistible words the love of their aged father to this son of his old age, and his grief when they told him that they were not to come into the presence of the lord of Egypt again without Benjamin; the intense anxiety with which, after a severe struggle, their father had allowed him to come, after he (Judah) had offered to be answerable for his life; and the grievous fact, that if they returned without the youth, they must bring down the grey hairs of their father with sorrow to the grave.


Verses 21-26

To “ set eyes upon him ” signifies, with a gracious intention, to show him good-will (as in Jeremiah 39:12; Jeremiah 40:4).


Verse 27

That my wife bore to me two (sons):” Jacob regards Rachel alone as his actual wife (cf. Genesis 46:19).


Verse 28-29

ואמר , preceded by a preterite, is to be rendered “ and I was obliged to say, Only (nothing but) torn in pieces has he become .”


Verses 30-32

His soul is bound to his soul: ” equivalent to, “he clings to him with all his soul.”


Verse 33-34

Judah closed his appeal with the entreaty, “ Now let thy servant (me) remain instead of the lad as slave to my lord, but let the lad go up with his brethren; for how could I go to my father without the lad being with me! (I cannot,) that I may not see the calamity which will befall my father!