Genesis 43:22

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 other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food,.... Double money for a double quantity, or because the price of corn was now doubled; and their bringing this besides the other showed their honest and upright intentions: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks; we are quite ignorant of it, and can by no means account for it, and therefore hope no blame will be laid on us.

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.

[Reformed Biblical] is affirmed Gen_43:21, and it is not denied here. Genesis 42:28 ## They were afraid, lest this should be a design to entrap, and so destroy them. Whoever were the instruments, they knew that God was the chief author of this occurrent, and wisely reflect upon his providence in it, and their own guilt which provoked him against them. Genesis 42:35 i.e. Their fear returned upon them with more violence, having now more leisure to consider things, and their wise and experienced father suggesting new matters to them, which might more deeply affect them. Genesis 42:36 ## Simeon is not; he gave him up for lost, as being, as he thought, in the power of a cruel enemy. ## All these things are against me; I am the great sufferer in all these things: you carry yourselves as if you were neither concerned nor affected with them. Genesis 42:37 ## Slay my two sons, tw o of the four mentioned Gen_46:9. An absurd proposition, neither fit for him to make, nor for Jacob to accept. Genesis 42:38 ## He is left alone, to wit of his mother, my dear Rachel. Genesis 43:1 Genesis 43:2 He saith a ## little, either to show that he took no thought to satisfy his or their curiosity or luxury, but only their necessity, for which a little would suffice, and that they must all moderate thei r appetites, especially in a time of such scarcity; or to encourage them to the journey, by suggesting to them that they needed not bring great stores, but only what was sufficient for that year, and that God would provi

[Reformed Biblical] de better for them hereafter, so as they should not need to go so far for corn any more. Genesis 43:3 ## Ye shall not see my face. See the same expression, 2Sa_14:24 2Sa_14:32 Act_20:25 Act_20:38. Ye shall not be admitted into my presence, nor to the purchasing of any corn here. Genesis 43:5 ## We will not go down, because we shall both lose the end of our journey, viz. the getting of corn, and run the utmost hazard o f all our lives. Genesis 43:7 ## We told him according to the tenor of th ese words; we gave answers suitable to his questions, or such as his words required. Genesis 43:8 ## Judah, for his age and prudence, and penitent carriage for his youthful follies, was most beloved and regarded by his father. ## The lad; so he calls him, because he was the youngest of all, though he was now thirty years old, and a father of divers children. See Gen_30:22 35:18 41:46 46:21 . Genesis 43:9 ## Let me bear the blame; Heb. be an offender to thee. Let me bear the guilt, and shame, and punishment due to so great an off ence. Genesis 43:10 No text from Poole on this verse. Genesis 43:11 Of all which see Gen_37:25. The ## nuts were of that kind which we call pistaches, as some Hebrew and other expositors rende r the word; for that was both an excellent fruit, and peculiar to Judea and Syria, and well agreeing with the ## almonds which here follow. Genesis 43:12 ## T

[Bible] 43:3. Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you. 43:4. If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee. 43:5. But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother. 43:6. Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery, in that you told him you had also another brother. 43:7. But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you? 43:8. And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish. 43:9. I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever. 43:10. If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time. 43:11. Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds. Balm... Literally rosin, resinae; but here by that name is meant balm. 43:12. And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake. 43:13. And take also your brother, and go to the man. 43:14. And may my almighty God make him favourable to you: and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children. 43:15. So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.