Genesis 44:1
וַיְצַ֞ו אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּיתוֹ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ מַלֵּ֞א אֶת־אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֹ֔כֶל כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יוּכְל֖וּן שְׂאֵ֑ת וְשִׂ֥ים כֶּֽסֶף־אִ֖ישׁ בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃
and he commanded he who was over his house saying, “Fill the sacks of the men with food, as much as they are able to carry and put the silver of each man in the mouth of his sack.
Paraphrase: As the brothers left the room, Joseph motioned to his house steward. “Let these men stay in our guest rooms. Tomorrow morning, be sure they get all the grain they can carry and return their money to them just as you did last time.
Comments:
For אֶת־אֲשֶׁר, see §10.
Genesis 44:2
וְאֶת־גְּבִיעִ֞י גְּבִ֣יעַ הַכֶּ֗סֶף תָּשִׂים֙ בְּפִי֙ אַמְתַּ֣חַת הַקָּטֹ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת כֶּ֣סֶף שִׁבְר֑וֹ וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֥ר יוֹסֵ֖ף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃
and my cup, the cup of silver, place in the mouth of the sack of the little and the silver of his grain, and he did according to the word of Joseph which he said.
Paraphrase: Then, one more thing. Go get my cup, the same cup which the priests use in their fortune telling, and place it in the sack of the youngest son. Just stuff it into his sack along with his money and all the grain so that he will not notice that it is in there. Then tie up the bag, put it on his donkey, and send them on their way.”
“Right away, sir.” whispered the steward, and he hurried off to do as Joseph had ordered.
Comments:
Genesis 44:3
הַבֹּ֖קֶר א֑וֹר וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים שֻׁלְּח֔וּ הֵ֖מָּה וַחֲמֹרֵיהֶֽם׃
In the morning light, then the men were sent, they and their donkeys.
Paraphrase: The brothers spent a restful night in Joseph’s guest house; and at the first crack of dawn, retrieved their donkeys, and returned to the grain distribution office where they were loaded down with grain. Then, they turned their faces toward Canaan and began the long trip home. As they went, they were grateful for the kind treatment they had received from the Grand Vizier. Their fears and anxiety had mostly subsided although they still had plenty of questions.
Comments:
Genesis 44:4
הֵ֠ם יָֽצְא֣וּ אֶת־הָעִיר֮ לֹ֣א הִרְחִיקוּ֒ וְיוֹסֵ֤ף אָמַר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ ק֥וּם רְדֹ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָֽה׃
They went forth from the city; they had not gone far, and Joseph said to he who was over his house, “Get up, pursue after the men and overtake them, and say to them, “Why have you repaid evil in place of good?”
Paraphrase: Now the brothers had not gotten too far from the city when Joseph once more summoned his steward. “All right,” he said, “It’s time; ride after these men; and when you overtake them, accuse them of stealing my special cup. Get angry, and ask them if this is how they treat people who show them kindness.
Comments:
For לַאֲשֶׁר, see §10.
Genesis 44:5
הֲל֣וֹא זֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁתֶּ֤ה אֲדֹנִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וְה֕וּא נַחֵ֥שׁ יְנַחֵ֖שׁ בּ֑וֹ הֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃
Is not this what my lord drinks by it, and he surely tells the future by it? Why have you done evil which you did?
Paraphrase: Accuse them of knowing how valuable this cup is to me and of stealing it from me. Be rough with them; berate them for this wicked thing which they did. One thing to remember, however, is this. When you find the cup in Benjamin’s sack, don’t bring back all the brothers. (Genesis 44:10) Just arrest Benjamin and bring him back to me. Let the others go their way.”
The steward nodded, checked his sword, and hurried off to the stables to secure a horse for his mission.
Comments:
Clearly, the claim is made that this cup was used in fortune telling which heightens the value of the cup and thus aggravates the crime of stealing it. Did Joseph actually use this for fortune telling? Note that Joseph himself does not say that he did; it’s the house steward that makes this claim. Edersheim (p168):
The brothers had not travelled far when the steward hastily overtook them. Fixing upon the eleven the stain of base ingratitude, he charged them with stealing the “bowl” out of which “his lord drank, and whereby, indeed, he divined.” Of course this statement of the steward by no means proves that Joseph actually did divine by means of this “cup.” On the contrary, such could not have been the case, since it was of course impossible to divine, out of a cup that had been stolen from him, that it was stolen (Genesis 44:15)! But, no doubt, there was in Joseph’s house, as in that of all the great sages of Egypt, the silver bowl, commonly employed for divination, in which unknown events were supposed to appear in reflection from the water, sometimes after gems or gold (with or without magical inscriptions and incantations) had been cast into the cup, to increase the sheen of the broken rays of light. Similar practices still prevail in Egypt.
Ridgley (p326) denies that the cup had anything to do with divination.
And Joseph himself says, ‘Wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?’ Though Joseph was a prophet, it is certain he was no diviner in the sense in which the word is commonly used in scripture; nor was this cup an instrument by which he practiced any such art. For understanding this scripture, then, we remark that the word which we render ‘to divine,’ denotes, as is observed in the margin, to make trial of or search after, or to discover or find out a matter; and that, instead of ‘whereby.’ or ‘by which,’ we ought to read ‘concerning which.’ The meaning of the scripture, then, is only this: ‘Is not this the cup in which my Lord drinketh, and concerning which he maketh search?’ As it was the cup in which he drank, if it were lost or stolen, he would soon miss it, and make inquiry to find out the thief, as he now did. And when Joseph says, ‘Wot ye not that such a mail as I can divine?’ the meaning is, “Do you think that one who is so diligent and industrious in the management of all those affairs which are incumbent on me, would lose the cup in which I drink, and make no inquiry after it? Did you expect to go undiscovered, when you had such an one as I to deal with, who have not only an inclination, but all the advantages that can be desired, to make search after those who have dealt unjustly by me, as you have done?”; Again, ‘to divine’ may signify to prophesy; and so it may be taken in a good sense as well as in a bad one. Accordingly, when Joseph’s servants speak of him as divining concerning the cup, they consider him as one who had an extraordinary gift from God of revealing secrets. Hence, they might easily conclude that he would, by this means, find out the person who had stolen his cup. This is agreeable to the Egyptian mode of speaking; for those whom the Hebrews called prophets, the Egyptians called diviners. Joseph uses the same expression when he says, ‘Wot you not that such a man as I could divine?’ as if he had said, ‘Did you not know that I was a prophet, and by this means was advanced to my present honour in Pharaoh’s court?’ So that, whether we take the words in this or in the other sense, it does not follow that he used any arts which were diabolical or unlawful.
Genesis 44:6
וַֽיַּשִּׂגֵ֑ם וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
and he overtook them and said to them these words,
Paraphrase: It didn’t take long for the steward to catch up to the brothers. “Where do you think you’re going?!” he angrily demanded. “Is this how you show gratitude to those who have done you a kindness?!”
“What’s the problem, sir” said Judah incredulously?
“What’s the problem!!” exploded the steward. “I think you know very well what the problem is!! One of you stole my lord’s special cup, and whoever it is is going to pay a bitter price for this theft.”
Comments:
Genesis 44:7
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו לָ֚מָּה יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲדֹנִ֔י כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה חָלִ֙ילָה֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹת כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
and they said to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it to your servants a deed according to this thing.”
Paraphrase: At this, the brothers stood as thunderstruck. They looked at each other utterly speechless. Finally, Judah found his tongue and protested, “Sir, what are you saying? What kind of accusation you are bringing against us? Such a deed as this is utterly abhorrent to us!
Comments:
Genesis 44:8
הֵ֣ן כֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָצָ֙אנוּ֙ בְּפִ֣י אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֱשִׁיבֹ֥נוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְאֵ֗יךְ נִגְנֹב֙ מִבֵּ֣ית אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ כֶּ֖סֶף א֥וֹ זָהָֽב׃
Behold, the silver which we found in the mouth of our sacks we caused to return to you from the land of Canaan, and how should we steal from the house of your lord the silver or gold?
Paraphrase: Why just look at what we did with the money we found in our sacks! We brought it all the way back with us from Canaan just to return it to you since we assumed that some mistake had been made in the grain distribution office. Why would we have gone through all the trouble of returning this money if we were thieves? and now to think that we would have even thought of stealing your master’s cup; why it’s utterly absurd!
Comments:
Genesis 44:9
אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֥א אִתּ֛וֹ מֵעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וָמֵ֑ת וְגַם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ נִֽהְיֶ֥ה לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לַעֲבָדִֽים׃
With whom of your servants, it is found, then he will die and also we will be to my lord for slaves.
Paraphrase: I say boldly on behalf of us all that you are free to search us from top to bottom. If the cup of your lord is found on any of us, we will hand him over to the Vizier. Let him be cut to pieces and the rest of us be sold into perpetual slavery. You have my word on it.”
Comments:
Note the resumptive אִתּוֹ.
Genesis 44:10
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר גַּם־עַתָּ֥ה כְדִבְרֵיכֶ֖ם כֶּן־ה֑וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֤א אִתּוֹ֙ יִהְיֶה־לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּהְי֥וּ נְקִיִּֽם׃
And he said, “Also now, it will be according to your words, thus it will be. With whom it is found, he will be for me a slave and you will be free.”
Paraphrase: “Very well, then,” said the steward. “I will do as you have said with one exception. If the cup is found in anyone’s possession, that one will be my slave. The rest of you will be free to go.”
Comments:
Genesis 44:11
וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּ וַיּוֹרִ֛דוּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ אָ֑רְצָה וַֽיִּפְתְּח֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃
And they hurried and each man caused his sack to be lowered to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
Paraphrase: The brothers wasted no time. They leaped off their donkeys and removed the sacks of grain from the donkeys which they were leading. They lowered each sack to the ground and opened it for the steward to inspect.
Comments:
Genesis 44:12
וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ בַּגָּד֣וֹל הֵחֵ֔ל וּבַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּלָּ֑ה וַיִּמָּצֵא֙ הַגָּבִ֔יעַ בְּאַמְתַּ֖חַת בִּנְיָמִֽן׃
and he searched; in the great, he began and to the little he finished, and he found the cup in the sack of Benjamin.
Paraphrase: The steward moved from brother to brother beginning with the oldest and finishing with the youngest. The brothers sighed with relief as the steward finished rummaging around in Zebulon’s sack and found nothing. He was the last one. Certainly, Benjamin hadn’t taken it. The steward, however, did not stop with Zebulun. He came to Benjamin’s sack, opened it wide, and plunged his hands down into the grain. Then, to the unspeakable horror of the watching brothers, he let out a triumphant shout and held up the large silver cup which the brothers knew must be the Grand Vizier’s cup.
Comments:
Genesis 44:13
וַֽיִּקְרְע֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲמֹס֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ הָעִֽירָה׃
and they tore their clothes and each man loaded on his donkey and returned to the city.
Paraphrase: What words can describe the consternation of the brothers when they saw the steward holding the silver cup in triumph. Benjamin reeled back in terror at the sight of it; Judah collapsed face down to the ground. The other brothers were so overwrought that they grabbed their clothes and tore them. “Get these donkeys loaded up and return to the city!” barked the steward still holding the gleaming cup. “The Grand Vizier will see you without delay!” Slowly the brothers regained their composure, closed up the sacks, loaded them back on the donkeys, and headed back to the city.
Comments:
Genesis 44:14
וַיָּבֹ֨א יְהוּדָ֤ה וְאֶחָיו֙ בֵּ֣יתָה יוֹסֵ֔ף וְה֖וּא עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּפְּל֥וּ לְפָנָ֖יו אָֽרְצָה׃
and Judah went and his brothers to the house of Joseph, and he was still there, and they fell before him to the ground.
Paraphrase: Into the city they went until they finally arrived at the palace of the Grand Vizier. The brothers were wracked with wrenching stress as they contemplated the interview they knew was coming. Then the steward led them into the hall where they found Joseph in the same place where they had left him that morning. In his presence, all the brothers fell again on their faces to the ground.
Comments:
Genesis 44:15
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף מָֽה־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם הֲל֣וֹא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּֽי־נַחֵ֧שׁ יְנַחֵ֛שׁ אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֹֽנִי׃
and Joseph said to them, “What is this action which you have done? Did you not know that a man, which is as me, can certainly fortune tell?
Paraphrase: Then Joseph, seated on his throne, spoke. “What were you thinking? he said sternly. “Why would you do such a thing as this? Did you really think you could get away with this theft? Do you think I am a mere mortal who does not know the future and the secrets of men? Surely, you were not so foolish as to think that I would not know who of you had stolen my cup? What kind of person do you take me for?”
Comments:
Genesis 44:16
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה מַה־נֹּאמַר֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י מַה־נְּדַבֵּ֖ר וּמַה־נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים מָצָא֙ אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ הִנֶּנּ֤וּ עֲבָדִים֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י גַּם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ גַּ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִמְצָ֥א הַגָּבִ֖יעַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
Then Judah said, “What can be said to my lord? What can we speak? and how can we justify ourselves? God has found the guilt of your servants. Behold we are slaves for my lord, also we, also in whose hand the cup was found.
Paraphrase: Then Judah spoke, his voice choked with emotion. “My lord, we have nothing to say for ourselves (Psalm 51:4); we have no defense to make. (Romans 3:19) Our God has discovered our guilt (Numbers 32:23) and set it before us in such a way that we can no longer dismiss it or deny it. (Psalm 51:3) We are completely in your hands, we and the youngest in whose sack the cup was found. We accept whatever punishment you think is just.
Comments:
The brothers know that they are innocent in this matter. The real guilt which tortures them is what they had done to Joseph twenty years ago. (Genesis 42:21) Clarke disagrees and thinks (p245) that the brothers really believe at this point that Benjamin had stolen the cup. He suggests that perhaps this cup was given Benjamin as his drinking cup at the feast the day before and that he had stolen it on that occasion.
Genesis 44:17
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֔י מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹת זֹ֑את הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִמְצָ֨א הַגָּבִ֜יעַ בְּיָד֗וֹ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶה־לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד וְאַתֶּ֕ם עֲל֥וּ לְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־אֲבִיכֶֽם׃פ
and he said, “Far be this action from me; the man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be for me a slave and you go up in peace to your father.”
Paraphrase: “No, that will not do. I am a man of strict justice, and I will not punish all of you for what only one of you has done. The one who stole the cup, he will be the one punished. The rest of you are free to return to your father; I have no quarrel with you.”
Comments:
Genesis 44:18
וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלָ֜יו יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּאמֶר֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִי֒ יְדַבֶּר־נָ֨א עַבְדְּךָ֤ דָבָר֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י וְאַל־יִ֥חַר אַפְּךָ֖ בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י כָמ֖וֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹֽה׃
and Judah drew near to him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant for you are as Pharaoh.
Paraphrase: Then Judah stepped closer to Joseph and pleaded, “Please, my lord, let me have a brief word. You have every right to be angry, but I beg you to hear what I have to say. We surely know that you have divine power and are able to see into the hearts of men. Your knowledge is divine, just like Pharaoh’s.
Comments:
Genesis 44:19
אֲדֹנִ֣י שָׁאַ֔ל אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר הֲיֵשׁ־לָכֶ֥ם אָ֖ב אוֹ־אָֽח׃
My lord, asked his servants saying, “Is there to you a father or a brother?”
Paraphrase: When we first met you, you asked about our family and if we had a father or any other brothers.
Comments:
Genesis 44:20
וַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֔י יֶשׁ־לָ֙נוּ֙ אָ֣ב זָקֵ֔ן וְיֶ֥לֶד זְקֻנִ֖ים קָטָ֑ן וְאָחִ֨יו מֵ֜ת וַיִּוָּתֵ֨ר ה֧וּא לְבַדּ֛וֹ לְאִמּ֖וֹ וְאָבִ֥יו אֲהֵבֽוֹ׃
and we said to my lord, “There is to us an elderly father and a child of old age, a little one, and his brother died, and he was left over, he alone to his mother and his father loves him.”
Paraphrase: We told you on that occasion that we did indeed have a father who is now an old man. My father had a son in his high age, and he is the youngest of all of the brothers. He is the one we call Benjamin. Now Benjamin had an older brother who had the same mother as Benjamin. Our father loved this son very much; but tragically, this brother has died and is no more. This means that our father has only one remaining son from this wife. That is why he loves Benjamin so dearly.
Comments:
Genesis 44:21
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ אֵלָ֑י וְאָשִׂ֥ימָה עֵינִ֖י עָלָֽיו׃
and you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me that I might place my eyes on him.”
Paraphrase: Then you told us to bring Benjamin down to Egypt with us so you could see him for yourself,
Comments:
Genesis 44:22
וַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל הַנַּ֖עַר לַעֲזֹ֣ב אֶת־אָבִ֑יו וְעָזַ֥ב אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וָמֵֽת׃
and we said to my lord, “The young man is not able to leave behind his father and if he leaves behind his father, then he will die.
Paraphrase: but we were very reluctant to do so. We knew that if Benjamin came with us to Egypt and left his father behind, then our father would surely die of a broken heart.
Comments:
Benjamin must have been almost 30 by now.
For the conditional here, see §159g(e).
Genesis 44:23
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ אִם־לֹ֥א יֵרֵ֛ד אֲחִיכֶ֥ם הַקָּטֹ֖ן אִתְּכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תֹסִפ֖וּן לִרְא֥וֹת פָּנָֽי׃
and you said to your servants, “If you do not cause your brother, the little, to come down with you, you will not again to see my face.”
Paraphrase: You, however, told us that if we did not have our brother with us the next time we came to buy grain, then we would not even be admitted into your presence much less purchase the grain we were seeking.
Comments:
Genesis 44:24
וַיְהִי֙ כִּ֣י עָלִ֔ינוּ אֶֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֖ אָבִ֑י וַנַּ֨גֶּד־ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי׃
and it was that we went up to your servant, my father, and we told him the words of my lord.
Paraphrase: So when we returned home after our first visit, we told our father the orders you had given us concerning Benjamin. Our father, as we expected, refused to let Benjamin go with us to Egypt.
Comments:
Genesis 44:25
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָבִ֑ינוּ שֻׁ֖בוּ שִׁבְרוּ־לָ֥נוּ מְעַט־אֹֽכֶל׃
and our father said, “Return, buy grain for us, a little food.”
Paraphrase: Finally, the day came when our grain stock was getting dangerously low, and our second harvest had already failed. (Genesis 45:6) Our father in desperation told us to get back to Egypt and to purchase what grain we could for food, or we would all starve.
Comments:
Genesis 44:26
וַנֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לָרֶ֑דֶת אִם־יֵשׁ֩ אָחִ֨ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֤ן אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָרַ֔דְנוּ כִּי־לֹ֣א נוּכַ֗ל לִרְאוֹת֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ וְאָחִ֥ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֖ן אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אִתָּֽנוּ׃
and we said, “We are not able to go down if our brother, the little, is not with us, then we will go down because we were not able to see the face of the man and our brother, the little, is not with us.”
Paraphrase: Then we had to tell our father that if Benjamin was not with us, then there was no point in going to Egypt. The Grand Vizier had made it clear that if he was not with us, he would charge us all with being spies and sell us off as slaves.
Comments:
Genesis 44:27
וַיֹּ֛אמֶר עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֖י אֵלֵ֑ינוּ אַתֶּ֣ם יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּ֥י שְׁנַ֖יִם יָֽלְדָה־לִּ֥י אִשְׁתִּֽי׃
and your servant, my father, said to us, “You know that two sons my wife bore to me.”
Paraphrase: Then our father poured out his grief to us and reminded us that his most beloved wife had born him only two sons.
Comments:
Genesis 44:28
וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָֽאֶחָד֙ מֵֽאִתִּ֔י וָאֹמַ֕ר אַ֖ךְ טָרֹ֣ף טֹרָ֑ף וְלֹ֥א רְאִיתִ֖יו עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃
and the first went out from me, and I said surely he has been completely torn up and I have not see him until now.
Paraphrase: The older of these two sons, I sent on an errand, and he never returned. We assumed that he must have been torn to pieces by some wild animal. When he left the house that day, it was the last time I ever saw him in this world.
Comments:
Genesis 44:29
וּלְקַחְתֶּ֧ם גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֛ה מֵעִ֥ם פָּנַ֖י וְקָרָ֣הוּ אָס֑וֹן וְהֽוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת־שֵׂיבָתִ֛י בְּרָעָ֖ה שְׁאֹֽלָה׃
and you will take also this one from beside my face, and harm happens to him, then you will cause my gray hair to go down in evil to Sheol.
Paraphrase: Now if you take Benjamin with you and some harm should come to him, then that will be my end. My gray hair will go to Sheol in bitter sorrow and despair.
Comments:
On Sheol, see here.
Genesis 44:30
וְעַתָּ֗ה כְּבֹאִי֙ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֣ אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹ קְשׁוּרָ֥ה בְנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
and now when I return to your servant, my father, and the lad is not with us, and his soul being bound up in his soul.
Paraphrase: Now sir, please understand our situation. My father’s heart is bound up with the heart of Benjamin; and if I return from Egypt…
Comments:
Genesis 44:31
וְהָיָ֗ה כִּרְאוֹת֛וֹ כִּי־אֵ֥ין הַנַּ֖עַר וָמֵ֑ת וְהוֹרִ֨ידוּ עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֛ינוּ בְּיָג֖וֹן שְׁאֹֽלָה׃
and it will be when he sees that the young man is not with us that he will die. Then your servants will cause the gray head of your servant, our father, to go down in distress into Sheol.
Paraphrase: and my father realizes that we have returned without Benjamin, then he will give up on living. The light will go out in his life, and the responsibility for this will be entirely on us since we promised to bring Benjamin back to him. We will be the ones who caused his gray head to go down into the grave. He will enter the life to come in the very greatest distress and despair.
Comments:
Genesis 44:32
כִּ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ עָרַ֣ב אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר מֵעִ֥ם אָבִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־לֹ֤א אֲבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְחָטָ֥אתִי לְאָבִ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
for your servant is surety for the young man from my father saying, “If I do not cause him to return to you, then I have sinned against my father all days.
Paraphrase: Furthermore, dear sir, you should know that I myself agreed to be surety for Benjamin. This is the promise I made my father. If I do not bring Benjamin back and set him before you safe and sound, then I will bear the guilt of this sin all my life. It will never be forgiven or atoned for.
Comments:
Genesis 44:33
וְעַתָּ֗ה יֵֽשֶׁב־נָ֤א עַבְדְּךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַנַּ֔עַר עֶ֖בֶד לַֽאדֹנִ֑י וְהַנַּ֖עַר יַ֥עַל עִם־אֶחָֽיו׃
and now please let your servant stay here in place of the young man, a slave for my lord and let the young man go up with his brothers.
Paraphrase: Therefore, kind sir, please let me keep the promise I made to my father and let me be surety for Benjamin. Take me for your slave, and let Benjamin return to his father with all his other brothers.
Comments:
Genesis 44:34
כִּי־אֵיךְ֙ אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה אֶל־אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתִּ֑י פֶּ֚ן אֶרְאֶ֣ה בָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְצָ֖א אֶת־אָבִֽי׃
for how will I go up to my father and the young man is not with me? Lest I see the distress which will find my father.
Paraphrase: Please grant my request, reverend sir. How could I possibly look my father in the face if Benjamin is not with me? I would rather die a thousand deaths. Better to be a slave in Egypt than to watch my father drown in sorrow.
Comments: