Genesis 43-44
New English Translation
The Second Journey to Egypt
43 Now the famine was severe in the land.[a] 2 When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Return, buy us a little more food.”
3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned[b] us, ‘You will not see my face[c] unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send[d] our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble[e] on me by telling[f] the man you had one more brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us[g] thoroughly[h] about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’[i] So we answered him in this way.[j] How could we possibly know[k] that he would say,[l] ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately.[m] Then we will live[n] and not die—we and you and our little ones. 9 I myself pledge security[o] for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.[p] 10 But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back[q] twice by now!”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you;[r] you must take back[s] the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks—perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother too, and go right away[t] to the man.[u] 14 May the Sovereign God[v] grant you mercy before the man so that he may release[w] your other brother[x] and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.”[y]
15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt[z] and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, “Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.” 17 The man did just as Joseph said; he[aa] brought the men into Joseph’s house.[ab]
18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of[ac] the money that was returned in our sacks last time.[ad] He wants to capture us,[ae] make us slaves, and take[af] our donkeys!” 19 So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 They said, “My lord, we did indeed come down[ag] the first time[ah] to buy food. 21 But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money—the full amount[ai]—in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it.[aj] 22 We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the money in our sacks!”
23 “Everything is fine,”[ak] the man in charge of Joseph’s household told them. “Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks.[al] I had your money.”[am] Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The servant in charge[an] brought the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys. 25 They got their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival[ao] at noon, for they had heard[ap] that they were to have a meal[aq] there.
26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside,[ar] and they bowed down to the ground before him. 27 He asked them how they were doing.[as] Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?” 28 “Your servant our father is well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” They bowed down in humility.[at]
29 When Joseph looked up[au] and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”[av] 30 Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother[aw] and was at the point of tears.[ax] So he went to his room and wept there.
31 Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said,[ay] “Set out the food.” 32 They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers,[az] and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting[ba] to do so.)[bb] 33 They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest.[bc] The men looked at each other in astonishment.[bd] 34 He gave them portions of the food set before him,[be] but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk.[bf]
The Final Test
44 He instructed the servant who was over his household, “Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put[bg] my cup—the silver cup—in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph instructed.[bh]
3 When morning came,[bi] the men and their donkeys were sent off.[bj] 4 They had not gone very far from the city[bk] when Joseph said[bl] to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once![bm] When you overtake[bn] them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup[bo] and use it for divination?[bp] You have done wrong!’”[bq]
6 When the man[br] overtook them, he spoke these words to them. 7 They answered him, “Why does my lord say such things?[bs] Far be it from your servants to do such a thing![bt] 8 Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If one of us has it,[bu] he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”
10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment![bv] The one who has it will become my slave,[bw] but the rest of[bx] you will go free.”[by] 11 So each man quickly lowered[bz] his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the man[ca] searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 13 They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
14 So Judah and his brothers[cb] came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there,[cc] and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing?[cd] Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?”[ce]
16 Judah replied, “What can we say[cf] to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves?[cg] God has exposed the sin of your servants![ch] We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”
17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of[ci] you may go back[cj] to your father in peace.”
18 Then Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you.[ck] Please do not get angry with your servant,[cl] for you are just like Pharaoh.[cm] 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 We said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old.[cn] The boy’s[co] brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left,[cp] and his father loves him.’
21 “Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see[cq] him.’[cr] 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father[cs] will die.’[ct] 23 But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 26 But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there.[cu] If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go,[cv] for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’
27 “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave me two sons.[cw] 28 The first disappeared[cx] and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. 29 If you take[cy] this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair[cz] in tragedy[da] to the grave.’[db]
30 “So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us—his very life is bound up in his son’s life.[dc] 31 When he sees the boy is not with us,[dd] he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. 32 Indeed,[de] your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.’
33 “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see[df] my father’s pain.”[dg]
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:1 tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that is important to the storyline.
- Genesis 43:3 tn The infinitive absolute with the finite verb stresses the point. The primary meaning of the verb is “to witness; to testify.” It alludes to Joseph’s oath, which was tantamount to a threat or warning.
- Genesis 43:3 tn The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”
- Genesis 43:4 tn Heb “if there is you sending,” that is, “if you send.”
- Genesis 43:6 tn The verb may even have a moral connotation here, “Why did you do evil to me?”
- Genesis 43:6 tn The infinitive construct here explains how they brought trouble on Jacob.
- Genesis 43:7 tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 43:7 tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.
- Genesis 43:7 sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.
- Genesis 43:7 tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”
- Genesis 43:7 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).
- Genesis 43:7 tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).
- Genesis 43:8 tn Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”
- Genesis 43:8 tn After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.
- Genesis 43:9 tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.
- Genesis 43:9 sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.
- Genesis 43:10 tn Heb “we could have returned.”
- Genesis 43:12 tn Heb “in your hand.”
- Genesis 43:12 tn Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.
- Genesis 43:13 tn Heb “arise, return,” meaning “get up and go back,” or “go back immediately.”
- Genesis 43:13 sn The man refers to the Egyptian official, whom the reader or hearer of the narrative knows is Joseph. In this context both the sons and Jacob refer to him simply as “the man” (see vv. 3-7).
- Genesis 43:14 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “Sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
- Genesis 43:14 tn Heb “release to you.” After the jussive this perfect verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) probably indicates logical consequence, as well as temporal sequence.
- Genesis 43:14 sn Several Jewish commentators suggest that the expression your other brother refers to Joseph. This would mean that Jacob prophesied unwittingly. However, it is much more likely that Simeon is the referent of the phrase “your other brother” (see Gen 42:24).
- Genesis 43:14 tn Heb “if I am bereaved I am bereaved.” With this fatalistic sounding statement Jacob resolves himself to the possibility of losing both Benjamin and Simeon.
- Genesis 43:15 tn Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.
- Genesis 43:17 tn Heb “the man.” This has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 43:17 sn This verse is a summary statement. The next verses delineate intermediate steps (see v. 24) in the process.
- Genesis 43:18 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
- Genesis 43:18 tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.
- Genesis 43:18 tn Heb “to roll himself upon us and to cause himself to fall upon us.” The infinitives here indicate the purpose (as viewed by the brothers) for their being brought to Joseph’s house.
- Genesis 43:18 tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 43:20 tn The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the finite verbal form.
- Genesis 43:20 tn Heb “in the beginning” (see the note on the phrase “last time” in v. 18).
- Genesis 43:21 tn Heb “his silver in its weight.”
- Genesis 43:21 tn Heb “brought it back in our hand.”
- Genesis 43:23 tn Heb “and he said, ‘peace to you.’” Here the statement has the force of “everything is fine,” or perhaps even “calm down.” The referent of “he” (the man in charge of Joseph’ household) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 43:23 sn Your God and the God of your father…This is the first clear reference in the story to the theme of divine providence—that God works through the human actions to do his will.
- Genesis 43:23 tn Heb “your money came to me.”
- Genesis 43:24 tn Heb “the man.”
- Genesis 43:25 tn The construction uses the infinitive construct after the preposition, followed by the subjective genitive.
- Genesis 43:25 tn The action precedes the action of preparing the gift, and so must be translated as past perfect.
- Genesis 43:25 tn Heb “eat bread.” The imperfect verbal form is used here as a historic future (future from the perspective of the past).
- Genesis 43:26 tn Heb “into the house.”
- Genesis 43:27 tn Heb “concerning peace.”
- Genesis 43:28 tn Heb “and they bowed low and they bowed down.” The use of synonyms here emphasizes the brothers’ humility.
- Genesis 43:29 tn Heb “and he lifted his eyes.” The referent of “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 43:29 sn Joseph’s language here becomes warmer and more personal, culminating in calling Benjamin my son.
- Genesis 43:30 tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.
- Genesis 43:30 tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”
- Genesis 43:31 tn Heb “and he controlled himself and said.”
- Genesis 43:32 tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 43:32 tn Or “disgraceful.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (toʿevah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 46:34 and Exod 8:22.
- Genesis 43:32 tn Heb “and they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for the Egyptians are not able to eat food with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination for the Egyptians.” The imperfect verbal form in the explanatory clause is taken as habitual in force, indicating a practice that was still in effect in the narrator’s time.sn That the Egyptians found eating with foreigners disgusting is well-attested in extra-biblical literature by writers like Herodotus, Diodorus, and Strabo.
- Genesis 43:33 tn Heb “the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth.”
- Genesis 43:33 sn The brothers’ astonishment indicates that Joseph arranged them in this way. They were astonished because there was no way, as far as they were concerned, that Joseph could have known the order of their birth.
- Genesis 43:34 tn Heb “and he lifted up portions from before his face to them.”
- Genesis 43:34 tn Heb “and they drank and were intoxicated with him” (cf. NIV “drank freely with him”; NEB “grew merry”; NRSV “were merry”). The brothers were apparently relaxed and set at ease, despite Joseph’s obvious favoritism toward Benjamin.
- Genesis 44:2 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.
- Genesis 44:2 tn Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”
- Genesis 44:3 tn Heb “the morning was light.”
- Genesis 44:3 tn Heb “and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys.” This clause, like the preceding one, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
- Genesis 44:4 tn Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”
- Genesis 44:4 tn Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.
- Genesis 44:4 tn Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
- Genesis 44:4 tn After the imperative this perfect verbal form with vav consecutive has the same nuance of instruction. In the translation it is subordinated to the verbal form that follows (also a perfect with vav consecutive): “and overtake them and say,” becomes “when you overtake them, say.”
- Genesis 44:5 tn Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 44:5 tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.
- Genesis 44:5 tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”
- Genesis 44:6 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 44:7 tn Heb “Why does my lord speak according to these words?”
- Genesis 44:7 tn Heb “according to this thing.”
- Genesis 44:9 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found from your servants.” Here “your servants” (a deferential way of referring to the brothers themselves) has been translated by the pronoun “us” to avoid confusion with Joseph’s servants.
- Genesis 44:10 tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.
- Genesis 44:10 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”
- Genesis 44:10 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 44:10 tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.sn The rest of you will be free. Joseph’s purpose was to single out Benjamin to see if the brothers would abandon him as they had abandoned Joseph. He wanted to see if they had changed.
- Genesis 44:11 tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.
- Genesis 44:12 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 44:14 sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.
- Genesis 44:14 tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.
- Genesis 44:15 tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”
- Genesis 44:15 tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.
- Genesis 44:16 tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.
- Genesis 44:16 tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”
- Genesis 44:16 sn God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.
- Genesis 44:17 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 44:17 tn Heb “up” (reflecting directions from their point of view—“up” to Canaan; “down” to Egypt).
- Genesis 44:18 tn Heb “Please my lord, let your servant speak a word into the ears of my lord.”
- Genesis 44:18 tn Heb “and let not your anger burn against your servant.”
- Genesis 44:18 sn You are just like Pharaoh. Judah’s speech begins with the fear and trembling of one who stands condemned. Joseph has as much power as Pharaoh, either to condemn or to pardon. Judah will make his appeal, wording his speech in such a way as to appeal to Joseph’s compassion for the father, whom he mentions no less than fourteen times in the speech.
- Genesis 44:20 tn Heb “and a small boy of old age,” meaning that he was born when his father was elderly.
- Genesis 44:20 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the boy just mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 44:20 tn Heb “he, only he, to his mother is left.”
- Genesis 44:21 tn The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.
- Genesis 44:21 tn Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”
- Genesis 44:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the boy’s father, i.e., Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 44:22 tn The last two verbs are perfect tenses with vav consecutive. The first is subordinated to the second as a conditional clause.
- Genesis 44:26 tn The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 44:26 tn Heb “go down.”
- Genesis 44:27 tn Heb “that two sons my wife bore to me.”
- Genesis 44:28 tn Heb “went forth from me.”
- Genesis 44:29 tn The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take…then you will bring down.”
- Genesis 44:29 sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole—they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.
- Genesis 44:29 tn Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).
- Genesis 44:29 tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.
- Genesis 44:30 tn Heb “his life is bound up in his life.”
- Genesis 44:31 tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”
- Genesis 44:32 tn Or “for.”
- Genesis 44:34 tn The Hebrew text has “lest I see,” which expresses a negative purpose—“I cannot go up lest I see.”
- Genesis 44:34 tn Heb “the calamity which would find my father.”
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