Genesis 43)
1: And the famine was sore in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn
which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to
them, "Go again, buy us a little food."
a 3. Judah's words. b 4. Jacob's act. b 5-. Jacob's act. a -5. Joseph's words.
3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man did solemnly protest to us, saying, 'You all shall not see my face,
except your brother be with you.'
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food:
5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, 'You all shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.' "
6 And Israel said (note the name. Jacob is used in weakness-42:36 &c., Israel of his resignation to God's will. In the use of the names Jacob and Israel, men might well invent a Jacobite and Israelite authorship, as well as Elohist Yehovist theory!), "Why did you all dealt so ill with me (= planed, plotted, and designed), as to tell the man whether you all had yet a brother?"
7 And they said, "The man asked us straightly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? have you all another brother?' and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?' "
8 And Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shall you require him: if I bring him not to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame for ever: (Heb. = all the days)
10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time."
11 And their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits (= praise of the land, "praise" put for choice fruits which had brought forth praise ) 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:
12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; perhaps it was an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man:
14 And GOD ALMIGHTY (El Shaddai) give you mercy (mercy put for favors shown) before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
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 ruler of his house (house put for servants of it), "Bring these men home, and slay (food, abundantly), and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon."
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses."
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, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
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, "Peace be to you ("Peace" put for all its blessings)), fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you (secret) treasure in your sacks: I had your money." And he brought Simeon out to them.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
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 bowed themselves to him to the earth. (Cp.37:7,8)
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your aged father, of whom you all spoke? Is he yet alive?"
28 And they answered, "Your servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive." And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. (Cp. 37:7-10)
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother
Benjamin (now 22, and father of 10 sons. Cp. 46:21), his mother's son, and said, "Is this your younger brother, of whom you all spoke to me?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. (see 42:24)
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained
himself, and said, "Set on bread." (= "Sit down to eat food".)
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 eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him (Egyptian pictures show that it was the custom to sit at meals), the firstborn according to his birthright (Joseph thus showing that he knew their ages and order, and causing them to marvel), and the youngest according to his youth (This was to try them, and see whether they were still "moved with envy". Cp. 37:4,8,11,18. It was also a type of the coming day, when the True Joseph will be able to do for the scattered and mingled tribes what was done here for the tribal heads): and the men marveled one at another.
34 And he took and sent messes (= choice portions) to them from before him: but Benjamin's portion was five times (#5 = grace) so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry (Heb. = drank abundantly. Cp Hag. 1:6. John 2:10) with him.