The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Genesis 43
Chapter XLIII · Vol. I, pp. 286–287
1 Jacob is hardly persuaded to send Benjamin. 15 Joseph entertaineth his brethren. 26 He maketh them a feast.
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 ba little food.
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, cThe man did solemnly protest7 unto us, saying, Ye shall not see dmy 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, ewe will not go down:8 for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
e Cannot, ch. 44.26.
8 We cannot go wanting Benjamin without breaking our promise and endangering our life.
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.9 Could we certainly know1 that he would say, Bring your brother down?
9 As his questions required.
1 Heb. knowing, could we know.
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the flad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
f Thirty years old. ch. 46.21.
9 I will gbe 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:
g ch. 44.32. 1 Ki. 1.21, with He. 7.22. Ps. 119.122.
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; hTake 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:3
h Pr. 18.16; 21.14; 17.8; 19.6. 1 Sa. 25.27. ch. 32.20; 37.25. De. 33.14.
3 Balm, or balsam, a general name for many of those resinous substances that flow from certain trees spontaneously or by incision. Josephus says the balsam tree was brought to Judea by the Queen of Sheba; and although we find balm an article of commerce between Gilead and Egypt, ch. 37.25, yet this no more proves the balm to have been the produce of Gilead, than the other articles, confessedly of Indian origin. Pliny thus characterizes it: 'To all other odours the balsam is preferred, produced in no other part than the land of Judea, and even there, in two gardens only; both of them belonging to the king, one no more than twenty acres, and the other still smaller.' Justin describes it as confined to the district of Jericho; and Marite, in 1766, confirms his statement. Honey. Either that collected by the bee from flowers, or the inspissated syrup of dates or grapes. Spices. The Septuagint translates it by a word signifying incense. Bochart thinks it storax, an odoriferous drug. Myrrh. A precious gum issuing spontaneously or by incision from a tree, was used in precious ointments and perfumes. It constituted part of the present to our Lord, Mat. 2.11, and in Jn. 19.39 it is mentioned as one of the articles brought to embalm his body. The myrrh in the text, Celsus concludes to be a different article, the product of the Cistus labdaniferus, and a beautiful and fragrant shrub. Nuts. Probably the pistachia, which is nearly of the size and shape of the common hazelnut, with a little more angularity. They have a double shell. The kernel is pale green, with an oily agreeable taste, and considered very nutritive. Almonds. The well-known fruit of a tree resembling the peach.—C.
12 And itake 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:
14 And lGod Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be4 bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
l ch. 39.21; 17.1; 22.14. Ps. 37.5-7. Pr. 21.1. Es. 4.16. Ac. 21.14.
A.M. 2298. B.C. 1706.
4 Or, and I, as I have been, &c.
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 mruler of his house, Bring these men home,5 and nslay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
m ver. 19; 44.1.
5 Joseph was so engaged with the duties of his office, as that he could not then, even though he saw Benjamin with them, interrupt them to pay them attention; moreover, he wished still farther to conceal himself from them.—I.
n 1 Sa. 25.11. ch. 31.54; 21.8; 26.30.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade: and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 And the men were oafraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house:6 and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may pseek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
o Ju. 13.22. Mat. 14.26. Ps. 53.5. Re. 1.17.
6 This was a procedure altogether unusual, and a guilty conscience suspected danger and evil determined, and that he was evidently seeking some cause of quarrel with them.—I.
p Heb. roll himself upon us, Job 30.14.
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, qWe came indeed 7down at the first time to buy food:
q ch. 42.3,27,35.
7 Heb. coming down, we came down.
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that rwe opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; sand we have brought it again in our hand.
r ch. 42.27,35.
s He. 13.5,18. Ro. 12.17; 13.8. 1 Pe. 2.12; 3.16.
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, tPeace be to you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father,8 hath given you treasure in your sacks:9 I had your money.1 And he brought Simeon out unto them.
t Ju. 6.23; 19.20. 1 Sa. 25.6. 1 Ch. 12.18. Lu. 10.5; 24.36. Jn. 20.19,21,26.
8 It seems that Joseph had taught his steward and family to know and fear the true God.
9 Joseph had taught this man to trace events to the providence of God. This was the great leading feature of Joseph's character, and must have been observed by his servant. He did not know why his master acted the part he did. But he had discovered that it was from no ill design to these men; and he therefore encourages them to have no fear of him, and treated them kindly; and bringing Simeon to them would be the first thing to calm their fears.—I.
1 Heb. your money came to me.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and ugave them water, and they washed their feet: and he gave their asses provender.
u ch. 18.4; 24.32.
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 xbowed themselves to him2 to the earth.
x ch. 42.6; ver. 28; ch. 37.7,9,10.
2 Here they are unconsciously fulfilling Joseph's dream, and still more when they not only, as related at ver. 28, bowed down their heads again, and did obeisance, but called their father the servant of Joseph.—I.
27 And he asked them of their ywelfare, and said, zIs 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 saw8 his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, aof whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, bmy son.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his cbowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
c 1 Ki. 3.26. Je. 31.20. Ho. 11.8. Col. 3.12.
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 deat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an eabomination unto the Egyptians.9
d ver. 16; ch. 31.54.
e ch. 46.34. Ex. 8.26.
9 It is not likely the objection to eating with the Hebrews arose from their being Hebrews, but because they were foreigners. The Hebrews were as yet too obscure a people to have excited any peculiar national antipathies. Such distinctions still remain both amongst civilized and barbarous nations. The Hindoo will not eat with the Christian, even one Indian caste will refuse to eat with another; and in the South Sea Islands, before Christianity appeared amongst them, men would, upon no account, have consented to eat in company with women. Even in Christian countries, refinement effects nearly as great a separation of ranks, as we find in Egypt, India, or the South Seas, effected by superstition and national antipathies. What a humanizing ordinance is the Lord's table! where believers of all countries, ranks, and sexes, 'tarry one for another,' whilst at one table, they 'being many, are one bread and one body;' and 'are all partakers of that one bread,' 1 Co. 10.17.—C.
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 at another.
Notes
Ver. 27. Joseph still retained his tender affection for his father and his brethren; but, in order to fulfil the designs of Providence, he had been restrained of God from inquiring after them, till his brethren came into Egypt.
Ver. 32. The Egyptians detested eating with such as fed upon the animals which they worshipped, or who neglected their manner of dressing their victuals.
Ver. 33. They marvelled that he, who had before used them so roughly, should now use them so kindly.
Ver. 34. Benjamin's large portion might be intended, not only to do him honour, but also to try his temperance, and whether his brethren would envy him on account of his distinguished preferment.
Reflections.—The trials, the sore trials, of God's faithful people, may often last long, and sink deep, before their deliverance come: but in difficult circumstances, where something dear to us is at stake, it is good to take the advice of others who are less interested. What a mercy is bread, that nothing earthly can supply the want of it! What then can supply the want of Jesus, the bread of life? In the use of every prudent endeavour to avoid danger it is proper to commit our affairs to the Lord, and submit ourselves entirely to his disposal; but men, when their consciences are overcharged with guilt, are apt to fear without ground, even where kindness is intended. In every circumstance honesty is the best policy; and every success in business should be regarded as a treasure given by God to us. What tender passions possess the noblest of souls! Their earnest prayers to God for our welfare are a distinguished kindness. And if persons with whom we deal have whimsical scruples, it is becoming to bear with them in love. But, O my soul, forget not Jesus thy brother! Let all my troubles and wants oblige me to return to him, as my alone Saviour. And though he lift me up, and cast me down again, fear not, only believe, and thou shalt see the glory of God.