GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 44 JOSEPH’S PLOT AGAINST HIS BROTHERS V1 Then Joseph *commanded the manager of his house. He said to him, ‘Fill the men’s bags with grain. Give to them as much grain as they can carry. And put each man’s money in the top of his sack. V2 And put m... [ Continue Reading ]
‘To find the truth by magic.’ Egyptians used to pour oil into water that was in a cup. Then they looked at the pattern of the oil. They thought that the pattern showed what was true. The *Hebrews did not do this. Joseph probably did not do it. But he pretended to his brothers that he did it. The cu... [ Continue Reading ]
The brothers were certain that they had not taken the cup. They proposed that anyone who had the cup should die. They proposed that all the other brothers should become slaves. If the manager agreed to that, it would be definite. The punishment that they proposed would happen. That was the custom by... [ Continue Reading ]
The manager also found the money that was in the top of each sack. But the cup was very much more important than the money. So the manager did not mention the money. JUDAH APPEALS TO JOSEPH V14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. They fell to the ground in f... [ Continue Reading ]
Probably Joseph did not believe that he could find the truth by magic. (See the comment on verse 5.) *Pharaoh believed in magic. (See Genesis 41:8.) Many wise men in Egypt believed in magic. So Joseph told his brothers that he could find the truth by magic. That is what a ruler of Egypt would say. A... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah knew that he had not taken the cup. He was sure that his brothers had not taken it. They were too worried to do that. They wanted to take the grain that they had bought. And they wanted to return to their father in *Canaan. They would not want the cup. And Judah knew that Benjamin had not take... [ Continue Reading ]
Joseph was testing his brothers. Many years before this time, they had plotted to kill Joseph. (See Genesis 37:18.) And they had plotted to sell him as a slave. They plotted to sell him to Ishmaelites, who were going to Egypt. (See Genesis 37:27.) Joseph wanted to know whether the brothers would do... [ Continue Reading ]
Reuben was the oldest brother but Judah had become the leader. (See verse 14. See also Genesis 43:3; Genesis 43:8.) And after this time, when Jacob gave his *blessing to his sons, he made Judah the most important. (See Genesis 49:8 and the comment.) Judah’s character was very different from what it... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah called Benjamin ‘the boy’. But Benjamin was more than 22 years of age. (See the comment on Genesis 43:8.) Probably Joseph remembered that the brothers used to call him, Joseph, ‘the boy’. (See Genesis 37:30.) V25 Judah continued, ‘Then our father said, “Go again and buy some food for us.” V26... [ Continue Reading ]
The brothers had already mentioned Joseph. They had said, ‘One brother is dead.’ (See Genesis 42:13; Genesis 42:32.) But in this verse, Judah said more than that. However, Judah did not confess that the brothers were responsible. They were unwilling to say that they were guilty. And Judah did not th... [ Continue Reading ]
Judah had promised to Jacob, ‘I shall bring him back.’ (See Genesis 43:9.) But he was not able to bring Benjamin back. So he tried to send Benjamin back. If he could do that, he would have kept his promise to his father. Judah alone offered to stay in Egypt as a slave. But, apart from that, he spok... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The evil thing that would happen to my father.’ Judah thought that his father would die. His father had said that. (See Genesis 42:38.) And Judah had just told Joseph what his father had said. (See verse 29.) COMMAND ~ to tell people (or a person) that they must do something; to say to people (or t... [ Continue Reading ]