Genesis 44:1-34

The Final Test

44:1 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. 44:2 Then put ¹  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. ² 

44:3 When morning came, ³  the men and their donkeys were sent off. ⁴  44:4 They had not gone very far from the city ⁵  when Joseph said ⁶  to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once! ⁷  When you overtake ⁸  them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 44:5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup ⁹  and use it for divination? ¹⁰  You have done wrong!’” ¹¹ 

44:6 When the man ¹²  overtook them, he spoke these words to them. 44:7 They answered him, “Why does my lord say such things? ¹³  Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! ¹⁴  44:8 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? 44:9 If one of us has it, ¹⁵  he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”

44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! ¹⁶  The one who has it will become my slave, ¹⁷  but the rest of ¹⁸  you will go free.” ¹⁹  44:11 So each man quickly lowered ²⁰  his sack to the ground and opened it. 44:12 Then the man ²¹  searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 44:13 They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

44:14 So Judah and his brothers ²²  came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, ²³  and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? ²⁴  Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” ²⁵ 

44:16 Judah replied, “What can we say ²⁶  to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? ²⁷  God has exposed the sin of your servants! ²⁸  We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

44:17 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 ²⁹  you may go back ³⁰  to your father in peace.”

44:18 Then Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. ³¹  Please do not get angry with your servant, ³²  for you are just like Pharaoh. ³³  44:19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 44:20 We said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. ³⁴  The boy’s ³⁵  brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, ³⁶  and his father loves him.’

44:21 “Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see ³⁷  him.’ ³⁸  44:22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father ³⁹  will die.’ ⁴⁰  44:23 But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 44:24 When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

44:25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 44:26 But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there. ⁴¹  If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, ⁴²  for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’

44:27 “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave me two sons. ⁴³  44:28 The first disappeared ⁴⁴  and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. 44:29 If you take ⁴⁵  this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair ⁴⁶  in tragedy ⁴⁷  to the grave.’ ⁴⁸ 

44:30 “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. ⁴⁹  44:31 When he sees the boy is not with us, ⁵⁰  he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. 44:32 Indeed, ⁵¹  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.’

44:33 “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. 44:34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see ⁵²  my father’s pain.” ⁵³ 

Genesis 2:4

The Creation of Man and Woman

2:4 This is the account ⁵⁴  of the heavens and

the earth ⁵⁵  when they were created – when the Lord God ⁵⁶  made the earth and heavens. ⁵⁷ 

Genesis 2:8

2:8 The Lord God planted an orchard ⁵⁸  in the east, ⁵⁹  in Eden; ⁶⁰  and there he placed the man he had formed. ⁶¹ 

Numbers 20:17-21

20:17 Please let us pass through ⁶²  your country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well. We will go by the King’s Highway; ⁶³  we will not turn to the right or the left until we have passed through your region.’” ⁶⁴ 

20:18 But Edom said to him, “You will not pass through me, ⁶⁵  or I will come out against ⁶⁶  you with the sword.” 20:19 Then the Israelites said to him, “We will go along the highway, and if we ⁶⁷  or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We will only pass through on our feet, without doing anything else.”

20:20 But he said, “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them ⁶⁸  with a large and powerful force. ⁶⁹  20:21 So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; therefore Israel turned away from him.

[44:2]  ¹ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.

[44:2]  ² tn Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”

[44:3]  ³ tn Heb “the morning was light.”

[44:3]  ⁴ 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.

[44:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”

[44:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.

[44:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[44:4]  ⁸ 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.”

[44:5]  ⁹ 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.

[44:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.

[44:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”

[44:6]  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.

[44:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “Why does my lord speak according to these words?”

[44:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “according to this thing.”

[44:9]  ¹⁵ 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.

[44:10]  ¹⁶ 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.

[44:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”

[44:10]  ¹⁸ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:10]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.

[44:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.

[44:12]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:14]  ²² sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.

[44:14]  ²³ tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.

[44:15]  ²⁴ 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?”

[44:15]  ²⁵ 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.

[44:16]  ²⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.

[44:16]  ²⁷ tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”

[44:16]  ²⁸ 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.

[44:17]  ²⁹ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:17]  ³⁰ tn Heb “up” (reflecting directions from their point of view – “up” to Canaan; “down” to Egypt).

[44:18]  ³¹ tn Heb “Please my lord, let your servant speak a word into the ears of my lord.”

[44:18]  ³² tn Heb “and let not your anger burn against your servant.”

[44:18]  ³³ 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.

[44:20]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and a small boy of old age,” meaning that he was born when his father was elderly.

[44:20]  ³⁵ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the boy just mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:20]  ³⁶ tn Heb “he, only he, to his mother is left.”

[44:21]  ³⁷ tn The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.

[44:21]  ³⁸ tn Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”

[44:22]  ³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the boy’s father, i.e., Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:22]  ⁴⁰ tn The last two verbs are perfect tenses with vav consecutive. The first is subordinated to the second as a conditional clause.

[44:26]  ⁴¹ tn The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[44:26]  ⁴² tn Heb “go down.”

[44:27]  ⁴³ tn Heb “that two sons my wife bore to me.”

[44:28]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “went forth from me.”

[44:29]  ⁴⁵ 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.”

[44:29]  ⁴⁶ 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.

[44:29]  ⁴⁷ 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).

[44:29]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[44:30]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “his life is bound up in his life.”

[44:31]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”

[44:32]  ⁵¹ tn Or “for.”

[44:34]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew text has “lest I see,” which expresses a negative purpose – “I cannot go up lest I see.”

[44:34]  ⁵³ tn Heb “the calamity which would find my father.”

[2:4]  ⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew phrase אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot) is traditionally translated as “these are the generations of” because the noun was derived from the verb “beget.” Its usage, however, shows that it introduces more than genealogies; it begins a narrative that traces what became of the entity or individual mentioned in the heading. In fact, a good paraphrase of this heading would be: “This is what became of the heavens and the earth,” for what follows is not another account of creation but a tracing of events from creation through the fall and judgment (the section extends from 2:4 through 4:26). See M. H. Woudstra, “The Toledot of the Book of Genesis and Their Redemptive-Historical Significance,” CTJ 5 (1970): 184-89.

[2:4]  ⁵⁵ tn See the note on the phrase “the heavens and the earth” in 1:1.

[2:4]  ⁵⁶ sn Advocates of the so-called documentary hypothesis of pentateuchal authorship argue that the introduction of the name Yahweh (Lord) here indicates that a new source (designated J), a parallel account of creation, begins here. In this scheme Gen 1:1-2:3 is understood as the priestly source (designated P) of creation. Critics of this approach often respond that the names, rather than indicating separate sources, were chosen to reflect the subject matter (see U. Cassuto, The Documentary Hypothesis). Gen 1:1–2:3 is the grand prologue of the book, showing the sovereign God creating by decree. The narrative beginning in 2:4 is the account of what this God invested in his creation. Since it deals with the close, personal involvement of the covenant God, the narrative uses the covenantal name Yahweh (Lord) in combination with the name God. For a recent discussion of the documentary hypothesis from a theologically conservative perspective, see D. A. Garrett, Rethinking Genesis. For an attempt by source critics to demonstrate the legitimacy of the source critical method on the basis of ancient Near Eastern parallels, see J. H. Tigay, ed., Empirical Models for Biblical Criticism. For reaction to the source critical method by literary critics, see I. M. Kikawada and A. Quinn, Before Abraham Was; R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 131-54; and Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative, 111-34.

[2:4]  ⁵⁷ tn See the note on the phrase “the heavens and the earth” in 1:1; the order here is reversed, but the meaning is the same.

[2:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Traditionally “garden,” but the subsequent description of this “garden” makes it clear that it is an orchard of fruit trees.

[2:8]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “from the east” or “off east.”

[2:8]  ⁶⁰ sn The name Eden (עֵדֶן, ’eden) means “pleasure” in Hebrew.

[2:8]  ⁶¹ tn The perfect verbal form here requires the past perfect translation since it describes an event that preceded the event described in the main clause.

[20:17]  ⁶² tn The request is expressed by the use of the cohortative, “let us pass through.” It is the proper way to seek permission.

[20:17]  ⁶³ sn This a main highway running from Damascus in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba, along the ridge of the land. Some scholars suggest that the name may have been given by the later Assyrians (see B. Obed, “Observations on Methods of Assyrian Rule in Transjordan after the Palestinian Campaign of Tiglathpileser III,” JNES 29 [1970]: 177-86). Bronze Age fortresses have been discovered along this highway, attesting to its existence in the time of Moses. The original name came from the king who developed the highway, probably as a trading road (see S. Cohen, IDB 3:35-36).

[20:17]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “borders.”

[20:18]  ⁶⁵ tn The imperfect tense here has the nuance of prohibition.

[20:18]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “to meet.”

[20:19]  ⁶⁷ tn The Hebrew text uses singular pronouns, “I” and “my,” but it is the people of Israel that are intended, and so it may be rendered in the plural. Similarly, Edom speaks in the first person, probably from the king. But it too could be rendered “we.”

[20:20]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “to meet him.”

[20:20]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “with many [heavy] people and with a strong hand.” The translation presented above is interpretive, but that is what the line means. It was a show of force, numbers and weapons, to intimidate the Israelites.