Genesis 43:21

43:15-25 Jacob's sons went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If we should ever know what a famine of the word means, let us not think it much to travel as far for spiritual food, as they did for bodily food. Joseph's steward had orders from his master to take them to his house. Even this frightened them. Those that are guilty make the worst of every thing. But the steward encouraged them. It appears, from what he said, that by his good master he was brought to the knowledge of the true God, the God of the Hebrews. Religious servants should take all fit occasions to speak of God and his providence, with reverence and seriousness.

And it came to pass when we came to the inn,.... Upon the road, on the first day's journey, to refresh themselves and their cattle: that we opened our sacks; to give provender to our cattle; by which it appears that they all did this, though it is only said of one of them at the inn, and of all of them when they came home, Genesis 42:27, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; nothing wanting of it; it being usual in those times to pay money by weight, and not by the tale of pieces: and we have brought it again in our hand; in order to pay it for the corn we have had, having no design to defraud.

(21) The inn. —The lodging-place. (See Note on Genesis 42:27 .) Our sacks.—Heb., our travelling or forage bags. It is the word used at the end of Genesis 42:27. So immediately afterwards the silver was found “in the mouth of the travelling-bag.” And so again in Genesis 43:22-23. This is accurate, as the silver was placed in the private bag of each one, and not in the corn sacks; but as we have seen in Genesis 42:27; Genesis 42:35, only one of them found his money at the lodging-place. This, however, was a matter of no importance, while it was necessary to show that they were a full day’s journey on the route homewards before the mistake was discovered.

It is said here that one only found his money at the lodging-place, and that the rest did not find their money until they emptied their sacks on reaching home. the sacks mentioned here (in Genesis 42:35) were the same as the travelling-bags, for they are expressly so called in Genesis 43:21-23. In Genesis 43:21, however, they tell Joseph’s steward that they all found their money in the mouth of their sacks on opening them at the lodging-place. This was not strictly accurate, but it would have been wearisome and useless to enter into such details. Two things it was necessary to show: the first, that all had found their money; the second, that they had gone too far on their journey homewards to be able to return and give the money back. Probably what is said in Genesis 43:21 was literally true only of one, and he found his money because it had been put in last, and was therefore at the mouth of the wallet. In all the other sacks it had been put in first, under the corn, and so they did not find it until “they had emptied their sacks.”

21. the lodging place ) Cf. Genesis 42:27 (J). every man’s money ] According to E, every man’s bundle of money was found, when they emptied their sacks at their journey’s end. Cf. Genesis 42:35 . in full weight ] Lit. “in its weight.” The money was not in coins, but in metal, probably bars, rings, or ingots, which had to be weighed. Genesis 43:21

18. the men were afraid—Their feelings of awe on entering the stately mansion, unaccustomed as they were to houses at all, their anxiety at the reasons of their being taken there, their solicitude about the restored money, their honest simplicity in communicating their distress to the steward and his assurances of having received their money in "full weight," the offering of their fruit present, which would, as usual, be done with some parade, and the Oriental salutations that passed between their host and them—are all described in a graphic and animated manner.

They are encouraged by the steward of Joseph's house to lay aside their fears, and prepare their present. "Spake to him at the door of the house." This was, of course, before they entered. "When we came to the inn." The relater is prone to lump matters in the narration, for the sake of brevity. They began to "open their bags" at the first lodging-place, and finished the process at the last when they got home. Other silver. This explains the phrase "second silver" in Genesis 43:12 . "Peace be to you." Be at rest. All is well. Your God. The steward of Joseph expresses himself as one who fears and trusts God, the God of the Hebrews, who had displayed his omniscience and omnipotence in Egypt. "He brought out unto them Simon." While they still linger at the entrance, the considerate steward bethought himself of bringing out Simon to them, which reassured their hearts, and induced them to enter willingly. He now succeeds therefore, in bringing them in, and then bestows upon them the usual attentions of Eastern hospitality. They now "make ready their present."

When the brethren appeared before Joseph, he ordered his steward to take them into the house, and prepare a dinner for them and for him. טבה the original form of the imperative for טבח. But the brethren were alarmed, thinking that they were taken into the house because of the money which returned the first time (השּׁב which came back, they could not imagine how), that he might take them unawares (lit., roll upon them), and fall upon them, and keep them as salves, along with their asses. For the purpose of averting what they dreaded, they approached ( Genesis 43:19 ) the steward and told him, "at the door of the house," before they entered therefore, how, at the first purchase of corn, on opening their sacks, they found the money that had been paid, "every one's money in the mouth of his sack, our money according to its weight," i.e., in full, and had now brought it back, together with some more money to buy corn, and they did not know who had put their money in their sacks ( Genesis 43:20-22 ). The steward, who was initiated into Joseph's plans, replied in a pacifying tone, "Peace be to you (לכם שׁלום is not a form of salutation here, but of encouragement, as in Judges 6:23 ): fear not; your God and the God of your father has given you a treasure in your sacks; your money came to me;" and at the same time, to banish all their fear, he brought Simeon out to them. He then conducted them into Joseph's house, and received them in Oriental fashion as the guests of his lord.

Verse 27. - And as one of them opened his sack - literally, and the one opened his sack, i.e. they did not all open their sacks on the homeward journey, although afterwards, in reporting the circumstance to Joseph, they represent themselves as having done so ( Genesis 43:21 ); but only one at the wayside inn, and the rest on reaching home (ver. 35; vide infra , Genesis 43:21 ) - to give his ass provender in the inn (the מָלון , from לוּן , an inn to pass the night, was not in the modern sense of the term, but simply a halting-place or camping station where travelers were wont to lodge, without finding for themselves or animals any other food than they carried with them), he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth - literally, in the opening, of his amtachath , אַמְתַּחַת , from מָתַח , to spread out, an old word for a sack ( Genesis 43:18, 21, 22 ), here used synonymously with שַׂק , from which it would seem that the travelers carried two sorts of bags, one for the corn כְּלִי (ver. 25), and another for the called asses' provender called אַמְתַּחַת . It was in the latter that the money had been placed. Genesis 42:27