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Texts -- Genesis 43:12-34 (NET)

Context
43:12 Take double the money with you ; you must take back the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks – perhaps it was an oversight . 43:13 Take your brother too, and go right away to the man . 43:14 May the sovereign God grant you mercy before the man so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin ! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.” 43:15 So the men took these gifts , and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin . Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph . 43:16 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 .” 43:17 The man did just as Joseph said ; he brought the men into Joseph’s house . 43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house . They said , “We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks last time . He wants to capture us, make us slaves , and take our donkeys !” 43:19 So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house . 43:20 They said , “My lord , we did indeed come down the first time to buy food . 43:21 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 – in the mouth of his sack . So we have returned it. 43:22 We have brought additional money with us to buy food . We do not know who put the money in our sacks !” 43:23 “Everything is fine ,” 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 . I had your money .” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 43:24 The servant in charge brought the men into Joseph’s house . He gave them water , and they washed their feet . Then he gave food to their donkeys . 43:25 They got their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon , for they had heard that they were to have a meal there . 43:26 When Joseph came home , they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside , and they bowed down to the ground before him. 43:27 He asked them how they were doing. Then he said , “Is your aging father well , the one you spoke about? Is he still alive ?” 43:28 “Your servant our father is well ,” they replied . “He is still alive .” They bowed down in humility . 43:29 When Joseph looked up 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 .” 43:30 Joseph hurried out , for he was overcome by affection for his brother and was at the point of tears . So he went to his room and wept there . 43:31 Then he washed his face and came out . With composure he said , “Set out the food .” 43:32 They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, 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 to do so.) 43:33 They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest . The men looked at each other in astonishment . 43:34 He gave them portions of the food set before him , 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 .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • SHEBNA

    [isbe] SHEBNA - sheb'-na (shebhna'; Somnas; but shebhnah, in 2 Ki 18:18,26; meaning uncertain (2 Ki 18:18,26,37 and 19:2 = Isa 36:3,11,22 and 37:2; lsa 22:15)): 1. Position in Isaiah 22: In Isa 22:15 Shebna is referred to as he "wh...

  • OBEISANCE

    [ebd] homage or reverence to any one (Gen. 37:7; 43:28).
    [isbe] OBEISANCE - o-ba'-sans: It is used 9 times in the King James Version in the phrase "made (or did) obeisance" as a rendering of the reflexive form of (shachah), and denotes the bow or curtsey indicative of deference and respe...

  • NUMBER

    [isbe] NUMBER - num'-ber: I. NUMBER AND ARITHMETIC II. NOTATION OF NUMBERS 1. By Words 2. By Signs 3. By Letters III. NUMBERS IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY IV. ROUND NUMBERS V. SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS 1. Seven and Its Multiples (1) Ritual U...

  • NOON; NOONDAY

    [isbe] NOON; NOONDAY - noon, noon'-da (tsohorayim; mesembria): The word means light, splendor, brightness, and hence, the brightest part of the day (Gen 43:16,25; Acts 22:6). See also MIDDAY; DAY AND NIGHT; TIME.

  • MESS

    [ebd] a portion of food given to a guest (Gen. 43:34; 2 Sam. 11:8).
    [isbe] MESS - mes (mas'eth): Any dish of food sent (Latin missum; French messe) to the table. It occurs in the Old Testament in Gen 43:34 (twice); 2 Sam 11:8 English Versions of the Bible, and in the New Testament in Heb 12:16, tra...

  • MEALS, MEAL-TIME

    [isbe] MEALS, MEAL-TIME - melz: Bread materials, bread-making and baking in the Orient are dealt with under BREAD (which see). For food-stuffs in use among the Hebrews in Bible times more specifically see FOOD. This article aims to...

  • Joseph

    [ebd] remover or increaser. (1.) The elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 30:23, 24), who, on the occasion of his birth, said, "God hath taken away [Heb. 'asaph] my reproach." "The Lord shall add [Heb. yoseph] to me anot...
    [nave] JOSEPH 1. Son of Jacob, Gen. 30:24. Personal appearance of, Gen. 39:6. His father's favorite child, Gen. 33:2; 37:3, 4, 35; 48:22; 1 Chr. 5:2; John 4:5. His father's partiality for, excites the jealousy of his brethren, G...

  • JOSEPH (2)

    [isbe] JOSEPH (2) - jo'-zef (yoceph, "He will add"; Septuagint Ioseph). The narrative (Gen 30:23,14) indicates not so much a double etymology as the course of Rachel's thoughts. The use of 'acaph, "He takes away," suggested to her ...

  • GENESIS, 1-2

    [isbe] GENESIS, 1-2 - jen'-e-sis: I. GENERAL DATA 1. The Name 2. Survey of Contents 3. Connection with Succeeding Books II. COMPOSITION OF GENESIS IN GENERAL 1. Unity of the Biblical Text (1) The Toledhoth (2) Further Indication of...

  • Famine

    [ebd] The first mentioned in Scripture was so grievous as to compel Abraham to go down to the land of Egypt (Gen. 26:1). Another is mentioned as having occurred in the days of Isaac, causing him to go to Gerar (Gen. 26:1, 17). But...

  • Exports

    [nave] EXPORTS From Egypt: Of horses and chariots, and linen yarn, 1 Kin. 10:28, 29; 2 Chr. 1:16, 17; of grain, Gen. 42; 43. From Gilead: of spices, Gen. 37:25. From Ophir: of gold, 1 Kin. 10:11; 22:48; 1 Chr. 29:4. From Tarshis...

  • Entertain

    [ebd] Entertainments, "feasts," were sometimes connected with a public festival (Deut. 16:11, 14), and accompanied by offerings (1 Sam. 9:13), in token of alliances (Gen. 26:30); sometimes in connection with domestic or social eve...

  • Dine

    [ebd] (Gen. 43:16). It was the custom in Egypt to dine at noon. But it is probable that the Egyptians took their principal meal in the evening, as was the general custom in the East (Luke 14:12).

  • Deception

    [nave] DECEPTION. Instances of By Satan, Gen. 3:4. Abraham, in stating that Sarah was his sister, Gen. 12:13; 20:2. Isaac, in stating that his wife was his sister, Gen. 26:7. Jacob and Rebekah, in imposing Jacob on his father,...

  • DOUBLE

    [isbe] DOUBLE - dub'-'-l (shanah, "to repeat," as in counting; kaphal, "to fold over," or "double," as a cloth): A word used quite frequently in the Old Testament. Jacob ordered his sons to take double money in their hands, i.e. tw...

  • Bowing

    [ebd] a mode of showing respect. Abraham "bowed himself to the people of the land" (Gen. 23:7); so Jacob to Esau (Gen. 33:3); and the brethren of Joseph before him as the governor of the land (Gen. 43:28). Bowing is also frequentl...

  • Benjamin

    [nave] BENJAMIN 1. Son of Jacob by Rachel, Gen. 35:18, 24; 46:19. Taken into Egypt, Gen. 42-45. Prophecy concerning, Gen. 49:27. Descendants of, Gen. 46:21; Num. 26:38-41. Tribe of Census of, at Sinai, Num. 1:37; in the plain ...

  • Banquet

    [ebd] a feast provided for the entertainment of a company of guests (Esther 5; 7; 1 Pet. 4:3); such as was provided for our Lord by his friends in Bethany (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3; comp. John 12:2). These meals were in the days of C...

  • BUYING

    [isbe] BUYING - bi'-ing (karah, laqach, qena', qanah, shabhar; agorazo, oneomai, emporeuomai): I. IN THE EARLIEST PERIODS AND AMONG NOMADS 1. The Primitive Stage (the "Shop") 2. In Old Testament Times 3. In New Testament Times II. ...

  • ABOMINATION

    [ebd] This word is used, (1.) To express the idea that the Egyptians considered themselves as defiled when they ate with strangers (Gen. 43:32). The Jews subsequently followed the same practice, holding it unlawful to eat or drink...
    [isbe] ABOMINATION - a-bom-i-na'-shun (piggul, to`ebhah, sheqets (shiqquts)): Three distinct Hebrew words are rendered in the English Bible by "abomination," or "abominable thing," referring (except in Gen 43:32; 46:34) to things o...

Arts

Questions

  • The following material from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia should be helpful here: III. Significant numbers Numbers are also used with a symbolical or theological significance. One is used to convey th...
  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...

Sermon Illustrations

Genesis 43:33

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The events recorded in Genesis stretch historically from Creation to Joseph's death, a period of at least 2500 years. The first part of the book (ch. 1-11) is not as easy to date precisely as the second part (ch. 12-50). The ...
  • Genesis provides the historical basis for the rest of the Bible and the Pentateuch, particularly the Abrahamic Covenant. Chapters 1-11 give historical background essential to understanding that covenant, and chapters 12-50 re...
  • The structure of Genesis is very clear. The phrase "the generations of"(toledotin Hebrew, from yaladmeaning "to bear, to generate") occurs ten times (really eleven times since 36:9 repeats 36:1), and in each case it introduce...
  • The Lord destroyed the corrupt, violent human race and deluged its world, but He used righteous Noah to preserve life and establish a new world after the Flood."Noah's experience presents decisively the author's assertion tha...
  • "The Babel account (11:1-9) is not the end of early Genesis. If it were, the story would conclude on the sad note of human failure. But as with earlier events in Genesis 1-11, God's grace once again supersedes human sin, insu...
  • One of the significant changes in the emphasis that occurs at this point in Genesis is from cursing in the primeval record to blessing in the patriarchal narratives. The Abrahamic Covenant is most important in this respect. H...
  • A major theme of the Pentateuch is the partial fulfillment of the promises to the patriarchs. The promises in Genesis 12:1-3 and 7 are the fountainhead from which the rest of the Pentateuch flows.397Walter Kaiser labeled the ...
  • "These verses are of fundamental importance for the theology of Genesis, for they serve to bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look beyond it to the subsequent history of the nation."414"W...
  • The second crisis Abram faced arose because of a famine in Canaan. Abram chose to sojourn in the Nile Valley until it was past. In this incident Abram tried to pass Sarai off as his sister because he feared for his life. By d...
  • Abram asked God to strengthen his faith. In response Yahweh promised to give the patriarch innumerable descendants. This led Abram to request some further assurance that God would indeed do what He promised. God graciously ob...
  • Abraham's purchase of a burial site in the Promised Land demonstrated his intention to remain in Canaan rather than going back to his native homeland. Since he was a sojourner in Canaan his friends probably expected him to bu...
  • A new toledotbegins with 25:19. Its theme is "the acquisition of the blessing and its development and protection by the Lord."625Moses set up the whole Jacob narrative in a chiastic structure that emphasizes the fulfillment o...
  • Chapters 43-45 are a unit describing what happened when Joseph's brothers returned to Egypt. Like chapter 42, which it echoes, it consists of seven scenes arranged palistrophically with the central scene being the arrest of J...
  • Jacob blessed all 12 of his sons and foretold what would become of each of them and their descendants. He disqualified Reuben, Simeon, and Levi from leadership and gave that blessing to Judah. He granted the double portion to...
  • Aalders, Gerhard Charles. Genesis. The Bible Student's Commentary series. 2 vols. Translated by William Heynen. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas...
  • A complete and comprehensive explanation of the official duties and revenues of the priests and Levites appropriately follows the confirmation of Aaron's priesthood. This was God's reply to the frightened cries of the people ...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • Mordecai's mourning may have been the only thing that disturbed Esther. She may have known nothing about the decree. On the other hand she may have known of both and concluded that since the king did not know that she was a J...
  • 105:7-11 God remembered His people (v. 7, cf. v. 42) so His people should remember Him (v. 5). God had been faithful to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 15:18-21; 22:15-18; 28:13-15). He made this covenant with Abraham...
  • 3:19 Jeremiah prayed that the Lord would remember his affliction and bitterness (cf. Job 13:15).3:20-21 He himself remembered something that gave him hope.3:22 The prophet remembered that the Lord's loyal love (Heb. hesed) ne...
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