Genesis 44:1-13
The Test... [ Continue Reading ]
The Test... [ Continue Reading ]
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. The feast which Joseph had arranged may have lasted a large part of the afternoon. At its conclusion the chief steward received orders to have... [ Continue Reading ]
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. The placing of this cup in Benjamin's sack had the object to concentrate the test upon his person, to bring his person into the foreground. AND HE DID ACCORDING TO THE WORD THAT JOSEPH HAD SPOKEN. Everything hav... [ Continue Reading ]
As soon as the morning was light, with the earliest dawn, THE MEN WERE SENT AWAY, THEY AND THEIR ASSES, they were dismissed without any intimation of the surprise in store for them.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (he was to pursue until he did overtake them), SAY UNTO THEM, WHEREFORE HAVE YE REWARDED EVIL FOR GOOD? Having been received and feasted by Joseph in... [ Continue Reading ]
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? in order to play his role as Egyptian ruler to the end, Joseph has the steward represent the matter as though he practiced hydromancy, that is, presumed to predict future events from the appearance of the liquid contents of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words, in bold accusation and with well-feigned anger.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing. In the consciousness of their innocence the brothers repel the charge with horror: Far be it from thy servants, the idea never entered our minds.... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, the money which we found in our sacks' mouths we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan; this surely was proof of their honesty; HOW, THEN, SHOULD WE STEAL OUT OF THY LORD'S HOUSE SILVER OR GOLD?... [ Continue Reading ]
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. That made the denial as vigorous as could be expected from innocent men.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. The chief steward accepted their proposal, but with the modification which agreed with Joseph's object in the trial, namely, to find out how the brothers were disposed... [ Continue Reading ]
Then they speedily, as their outraged feelings of innocence demanded, TOOK DOWN EVERY MAN HIS SACK TO THE GROUND, AND OPENED EVERY MAN HIS SACK. They were absolutely certain that the cup would not be found.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he, the chief steward, SEARCHED, AND BEGAN AT THE ELDEST, AND LEFT AT THE YOUNGEST, partly to hide his own share in the scheme, partly to make the climax all the more effective. AND THE CUP WAS FOUND IN BENJAMIN'S SACK. This was an outcome which not one of them had expected, their feeling of rel... [ Continue Reading ]
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. They were overcome with terror, fear, and grief, and it was with a feeling of the greatest dejection that they turned back to the city which they had left with such light hearts a few hours before.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there, having waited for their return. Judah is now the leader among the brothers, a position which was later confirmed to him. AND THEY FELL BEFORE HIM ON THE GROUND, in speechless terror and abject surrender. This showed the spirit... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAH'S HEROIC BEHAVIOR... [ Continue Reading ]
And Joseph said unto them, in apparent indignation, WHAT DEED IS THIS THAT YE HAVE DONE? WOT YE NOT THAT SUCH A MAN AS I CAN CERTAINLY DIVINE? He intimated that a man in his position and of his wisdom was able to discover the most carefully hidden things. Cf v. 5.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? He felt that the circumstantial evidence against them was so strong as to oblige the ruler to decide against them. GOD HATH FOUND OUT THE INIQUITY OF THY SERVANTS; he and his brothers recognized in... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, God forbid that I should do so; far be it from me to act upon this suggestion; 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. This is the climax of the test which Joseph had proposed, for now the brothers could s... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Judah came near unto him and said, stepping forward in his great agitation, O 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. His request was made in the greatest humility, in the full conscio... [ Continue Reading ]
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?... [ Continue Reading ]
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. With unconscious, artless skill the love of Jacob for the one remaining son of his old age from his beloved Rachel... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me that I may set mine eyes upon him. The pleading here is less formal, and more fervent.... [ Continue Reading ]
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die. From this we may conclude that the refusal of the brothers to bring Benjamin had caused their first imprisonment. It was the prospect of a favorable reception on the part of Joseph tha... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more, which was equivalent to telling them that they could purchase no more grain, unless they complied with this condition.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
And thy servant, my father, said unto us, Ye know that my wife, Rachel, whom only he really considered such in the full name of the word, BARE ME TWO SONS;... [ Continue Reading ]
and the one went out from me, he was taken from Jacob in a violent manner, AND I SAID, SURELY, HE IS TORN IN PIECES, that was the only conclusion he could reach from the evidence presented; AND I SAW HIM NOT SINCE;... [ Continue Reading ]
and if ye take this also from me, and mischief, some harm or danger, BEFALL HIM, YE SHALL BRING DOWN MY GRAY HAIRS WITH SORROW TO THE GRAVE. It was a masterly presentation of the love and devotion which now characterized the relationship in the family of Jacob. With these words Judah reached the con... [ Continue Reading ]
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, his soul was literally tied to the soul of Benjamin;... [ Continue Reading ]
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, to the realm of the dead.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 forever.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. This entreaty was a wonderful exhibition of love, both for the aged father and for Benjamin, since it involved becoming a slave in Egypt without hope of redemption.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (find or strike) MY FATHER. This lofty and impressive, vivid and passionate prayer, culminating in the last touching appeal with its self-sacrificing offer, is one of the sublimest pas... [ Continue Reading ]