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 Joseph's brothers (44:1-13).
AJacob sends his sons to Egypt (43:1-14).
BArrival in Egypt; the steward and the brothers (43:15-25)
CLunch with Joseph (43:26-34)
DThe brothers arrested (44:1-13)
C'Joseph's self-disclosure (44:14-45:15)
B'Departure from Egypt; Pharaoh and the brothers (45:16-24)
A'Jacob receives his sons' report (45:25-28).868
Upon returning to Canaan the brothers had to persuade Jacob to let Benjamin accompany them on their next trip to Egypt, which they did with considerable difficulty. When they went back to Egypt and tried to return the money they had found in their sacks, Joseph received them graciously and dealt with them peacefully. He also showered Benjamin with lavish favoritism to test his brothers for jealousy.
43:1-15 Judah evidently took the lead and spoke for his brothers because Jacob had already refused Reuben (42:37-38), Simeon was in Egypt, and Levi had previously forfeited his father's confidence (ch. 34). As Reuben had done, Judah offered to bear responsibility in Jacob's place.
Facing a crisis like his meeting with Esau (chs. 32-33), Jacob again prepared a lavish present to appease "the man,"Joseph.
"Jacob has no guarantee El Shaddai will do anything. His if I am to be bereaved, bereaved I shall beis the same construction as Esther's if I perish, I perish' (Est. 4:16) . . ."869
"The and Benjamin' [v. 15] hangs like the resigned sigh of a father trapped between the need to live and the possibility of a life made utterly empty through another loss."870
43:16-25 A better translation of, "I had your money,"(v. 23) is, "Your money had come to me."Joseph was not lying to his brothers.
43:26-34 Again the brothers fulfilled God's prophecy in Joseph's dreams by bowing before Joseph (vv. 26-28; cf. 37:5-9).
Benjamin was 16 years younger than Joseph, so he would have been 23 at this time (v. 29). Joseph was 39 (41:46; 45:6).
". . . according to the prevailing custom of the East, the very fact that they had been invited to Joseph's table was in itself an encouraging circumstance. Though the Orientals are for the most part a revengeful people, yet if you eat with them, you are thenceforward sure of having their protection. Even should you have done them the greatest injury, yet you need be under no apprehension from their resentment."871
The caste system in Egypt required that Joseph as a member of the upper class eat at a table separate from his Egyptian companions. The Hebrews sat at a third table since they were foreigners (v. 32). The Hebrews and other foreigners ate animals that the Egyptians regarded as sacred. The Egyptians also followed strict rules for the ceremonial cleansing of their food before they ate it. This made the Hebrews "loathsome"to the Egyptians.872Joseph hosted a meal for his brothers who years before had callously sat down to eat while he languished in a pit.873
Joseph showed respect to Benjamin as his distinguished guest by giving him larger and better servings of food than his brothers received (v. 34). Special honorees frequently received double portions, but a five-fold portion was the sign of highest privilege. With this favor Joseph sought not only to honor Benjamin but also to test his other brothers' feelings toward Benjamin. He wanted to see if they would hate him as they had hated himself, his father's former favorite. Evidently they passed this test.
"Those who would participate in God's program must be willing to take responsibility for their actions, make restitution when they are culpable, and accept their lot gratefully and without jealousy."874
