Genesis 44, The Silver Cup

Joseph's half-brothers have returned, in desperation, to Egypt.  Joseph still is not yet ready to bury the hatchet and he probably has genuine concerns about his half-brothers' treatment of Benjamin. He will push them one more time.

Genesis 44:1-2, Instructions to a steward
Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said.

Joseph will again scare the brothers with a surprise gift, this time one focusing on the precious youngest brother.

Genesis 44:3-5, Caught on the way home
As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, `Why have you repaid good with evil? Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.'"

The trick plays out over a short time, probably a day, in which the brothers discover themselves pursued by the steward.

Genesis 44:6-9, Protests of innocence
When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.  

But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? If  any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."

The brothers are appalled and adamant. They are certainly innocent. Aren't they?

Genesis 44: 10-13, A treasure in Benjamin's sack!
"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." 

Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.  Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

Now it is Benjamin who is in trouble. The steward has claimed him as a slave and the ten return to Joseph's house in despair.  

This is a test of the ten step-brothers. Joseph is testing their love for his true brother, the other son of Rachel. The ten could have abandoned Benjamin, just like they abandoned Joseph. But it is a good sign that they come back.

Genesis 44:14-16, Judah's consternation
Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?"

"What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup."

Judah is, naturally enough, completely undone by this. He is correct -- they have nothing to say.

Genesis 44:17-28, Judah's plea
But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace."

     

Then Judah went up to him and said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, `Do you have a father or a brother?' And we answered, `We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' "Then you said to your servants, `Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' And we said to my lord, `The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.'

     

But you told your servants, `Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'  When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. "Then our father said, `Go back and buy a little more food.' But we said, `We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

    

"Your servant my father said to us, `You know that my wife bore me two sons. One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since.

Judah recounts the conversation with Jacob. It includes the mention of the two youngest sons. Judah is begging that the punishment not fall on Benjamin.

Genesis 44:29-34, Take me instead!
"If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.'  So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, `If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!'

"Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father."

Recounting the story, Judah insists on being the slave. It is important for Joseph to hear that the other son of Rachel is valued by the ten and that Judah is willing to trade his life for Benjamin's. In this way, Judah is passing the test presented by Joseph.

The title for this chapter it's taken from the title of this section in John Walton's commentary on Genesis.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is keseph,

 כֶּסֶף

a masculine noun meaning money or (in this chapter) silver.

Some Random Thoughts

I always thought of the story of Joseph and his brothers as being an example of a certain just "payback" or punishment, in which the ten half-brothers are being made to reconsider the cruel violence they had done to Joseph. But after reading the story more carefully and after reading several commentaries, it is clear that Joseph is also testing his brothers. He and Benjamin were the only sons of Isaac's favorite wife Rachel. That favoritism eventually led to Joseph being sold into slavery. So what has happened to Benjamin since then? Has he been treated like Joseph? Is the dysfunctional culture of family preference and violence still active? Can the earlier rupture be healed?

Joseph's actions do indeed lead to reconciliation. He sharply challenges his brothers in these tests. And then forgives (in the next chapter.)

First published Feb 21, 2023; updated Feb 20, 2026

Genesis 43, Ten Return to Egypt

Jacob is resistant to the idea of sending Benjamin with his brothers back to Egypt, even at the cost of Simeon. But the famine gets worse.

Genesis 43:1-5, Return to Egypt
Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food."

    

But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, `You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you. If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, `You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'"

Jacob does not understand how adamant "the man" in Egypt was about them returning with Benjamin. Now Judah, instead of Reuben, attempts to explain the situation to his father.

Genesis 43:6-10, Why Benjamin?

Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?"

    

They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. `Is your father still living?' he asked us. `Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, `Bring your brother down here'?"

    

Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.

    

I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice."

This time Judah offers himself as ransom. (At least he doesn't suggest killing one of his own sons!) He stresses that this is the only solution and could have already been done several times.

Genesis 43:11-14, Jacob concedes
Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift--a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.

    

And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."

The term "God Almighty" in verse 14 is the Hebrew El-Shaddai. Jacob (called Israel here) gives in, leaning, in desperation, on God Almighty.  And some carefully chosen gifts.

There is resignation in Israel's last statement. He prepares for a bad outcome.

Genesis 43:15-17, Final arrival in Egypt
So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house.

In their second visit, the brothers are welcomed and treated well. What does it mean to get the attention from such a powerful man?

Genesis 43:18-22, The brothers worry
Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys."

    

So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. "Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver--the exact weight--in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks."

Naturally the brothers find this unusual treatment a cause for concern. They attempt to clarify things with the steward.

Genesis 43:23-25, Reassurance
"It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them. The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.

The steward reassures them, telling them that "their god" has given them treasures.

The steward seems to speak the language of the sons of Israel. So far, Joseph has been speaking Egyptian and hiding his knowledge of their language.

Genesis 43:26-29, Received by Joseph
When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.  He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?"

    

They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed low to pay him honor.

    

As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."

Joseph asks about the wellbeing of his father, seeking assurances that he is still alive. 

Joseph continues the ruse but without the edge and misdirection of the previous visit. Surely he recognizes the fulfillment of his childhood dreams, of the eleven bowing down before him.

Genesis 43:30-31, Weeping
Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food."

For a second time, Joseph is overwhelmed and has to rush out, sob, and then wash his face. There are probably a number of emotions here, a mixture of familial affection and anger and bitterness.  A lot has happened over these two decades.

Genesis 43:32-33, A feast

They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.

    

The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Note the dietary issues of some type -- or possibly ethnic/racial issues -- the Egyptians would not eat with the foreigners. Once again, the descendants of Abrahaam are called Hebrews.

The brothers are astonished at the insight into their birth order. They have been welcomed with considerable feasting, a wonderful thing for a family on the brink of starvation.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day ish,

אִישׁ

a masculine noun meaning "man". It is used in verse 5, above, to describe "that man" in Egypt making demands on the brothers. By adding a feminine ending we get ishshah (אִשָּׁה), meaning "woman" or, more often, "wife."

Some Random Thoughts

What emotions does Joesph experience? He was betrayed by his brothers long ago, frightened, then angry and bitter. He has endured much because of their violence and deceit. So many feelings must come to the fore.

First published Feb 20, 2023; updated Feb 19, 2026

Genesis 42, Ten Sons Go to Egypt

Joseph has been preparing the people of Egypt for a lengthy famine. The famine spreads to Palestine where Jacob and his family begin to suffer. And so opens one of the most colorful and fascinating stories of the Old Testament.

Genesis 42:1-4, Joseph's brothers sent to Egypt
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."

Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him.

The famine has become so severe that starvation and death are possible.  Jacob sends the ten older brothers to Egypt. But believing he has already lost one of Rachel's sons, cannot spare sending his youngest son away.

Genesis 42:5-8, Joseph pretends to be a stranger
So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. 

"From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

Joseph is suddenly surprised by the arrival of his brothers! In a beautiful piece of justice, Joseph's brothers come to him, begging him for food.  (Don't all of us fantasize, at some time, about a meeting like this with those who have wronged us?)

As foretold in a dream years ago, his brothers are bowing down to him!

Genesis 42:9-16, Joseph accuses his brothers

Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

"No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies."

"No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."

Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!"

The conflict between Leah and Rachel passed down to a conflict between Joseph and his ten half-brothers. Now those ten show up without Benjamin. 

Who really are these men? The last time he saw them he had to plead for his life. He recalls that Reuben slept with his father's concubine and Simeon and Levi massacred a village. Is his only true brother, Benjamin, even alive? Joseph does not trust his ten step brothers, and so he tests them.

Genesis 42:17-24, Joseph insists on seeing Benjamin
And he put them all in custody for three days.

On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." 

This they proceeded to do.

Joseph threatens his brothers with imprisonment (maybe even death) and then negotiates for them to bring Benjamin to Egypt. He and Benjamin were the only children of Rachel and the ten mistreated him -- how have they treated Benjamin?

Genesis 42:17-20, Consternation
They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us."

Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood."

They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.

We learn here (points out Alter) that Joseph pleaded for his life long ago, when thrown into the pit.

Reuben has an opportunity to say, "I told you so!"  The ten are confessing their guilt to each other, unaware that Joseph is listening. The consternation and regrets expressed by the ten surely provides some comfort for Joseph.

Genesis 42:25-28, Silver found in the sacks
Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

    

At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. "My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." 

   

Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?"

Joseph continues to create small little events to remind his brothers of their vulnerability. Those ten who so confidently sold their baby brother into slavery are now puppets in Joseph's (and God's) hands.

Genesis 42:29-34, Brothers report to Jacob
When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, "The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land.

    

But we said to him, `We are honest men; we are not spies. We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.'

    

"Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, `This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'"

The conversation in Egypt is repeated for Jacob. The "man who is lord over the land" plays a significant role in that conversation.

Genesis 42:35-38, A frightening surprise!
As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!"

    

Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." 

But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."

We again have the surprise of silver in the sacks.  It is not clear if this merely repeats the earlier revelation or if these are new bars of silver at the bottom of their bags.  

Jacob counts the loss of two sons already, Joseph and Simeon.  Reuben offers his own two sons as ransom. Reuben's offer is enthusiastic but foolish and naive. Why would Jacob, grieving the loss of sons, be comforted by the right to kill grandsons??

The word in verse 38 translated "grave" is the Hebrew sheol (שְׁאוֹל.)

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day adon

אָדוֹן

a masculine noun meaning "lord." It appears in this chapter as a description of that strange royal official in Egypt who is making so many demands on the ten brothers.

Some Random Thoughts

I cannot blame Joseph for getting a bit of payback. It is conceivable that he is not sure what to do with this situation. Who are these men? The last time he saw them he had to plead for his life. He recalls that Reuben slept with his father's concubine and Simeon and Levi massacred a village. Is his only true brother, Benjamin, even alive? Joseph does not trust his ten step brothers, and so he tests them. And we, the reader, enjoy the justice.

First published Feb 18, 2023; updated Feb 18, 2026

Genesis 41, Pharaoh's Dreams

The teenage Joseph received two dreams which he unwisely shared with his brothers. Then in an Egyptian prison, he has interpreted two dreams. Another pair of dreams are coming...

Genesis 41:1-7, Pharaoh's dreams
When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank.  And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted--thin and scorched by the east wind.  The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.

Pharaoh has two strange and vivid dreams. Like the other pairs of dreams, these two have similar components. That there are two similar dreams emphasizes the important prophetic nature of the dreams.

Alter points out the nightmarish aspects of the dreams: the cows suddenly become carnivores, turning and eating their herdmates. In a like manner, the heads of grain turn and snap up the other heads. In both cases, Pharaoh probably woke up in a cold sweat.

Genesis 41:8-13, The cupbearer remembers
In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged."

Finally, the cupbearer remembers Joseph.

Genesis 41:14-16, Pharaoh calls for Joseph
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

Joseph, called to appear before the king, prepares himself in the culturally appropriate manner, shaving his beard and possibly his head. He puts on clean clothes. When questioned by Pharaoh, Joseph says that his ability as dream-master comes from God. Again, possibly because of his teenage dreams, he appears confident that God has put him in this position.

Genesis 41:17-24, Pharaoh's dream
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up--scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

"In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads sprouted--withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me."

Pharaoh describes his dream. It repeats the number seven. (The earlier dreams, of the king's two servants, dealt with the number three.)

Here, as in other places, the narrator records the speaker repeating the story in detail, so that we hear the dreams a second time. I suspect this is partially due to the fact that much of Old Testament scripture was read (or recited) to an audience. The listeners did not have the luxury that readers do, of pausing, backtracking, and rereading the events.

Genesis 41:25-32, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

"It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.

The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. He makes it clear that only God reveals dreams and that he is relying on (the one) God. The Hebrew word translated "God" here is elohim, a more general term for God than YHWH. Presumably Pharaoh understands that Joseph is talking about Joseph's god but no specific name is given here.

Genesis 41:33-38, Advice to Pharaoh
"And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine."

The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?"

Uninvited, Joseph suggests a response to the dream. He appears to recognize the opportunity now granted him by God.

Genesis 41:39-43, Pharaoh appoints Joseph to power
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Joseph is elevated to power. Once again he has a change of clothes. These garments are probably even better than the ornamental coat given him by his father!

Both the NIV footnotes and Alter's commentary react to the word translated "Make way!" in verse 43. It is an Egyptian loan word, Abrekh. It is obviously an exclamation of honor, but the exact meaning is unknown. The NIV suggests "bow down!" as an alternate translation. Clearly Joseph has ascended to royalty! He now rides in the Egyptian equivalent of a limousine.

Genesis 41:44-49, Serving the Pharaoh
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

Joseph puts his plan into action. The stored grains are "beyond measure". (How are the grains preserved? Do they worry about rats or spoilage?)

Part of Joseph's rise to power is his ability to receive in marriage a daughter of an elite Egyptian priesthood. In verses 45 and 50, On is the city of Heliopolis, a site now within modern Cairo.

The name Potiphera means "he whom Ra has given". Ra was an ancient Egyptian deity.

Genesis 41:50-52, Manasseh and Ephraim
Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Unlike his mother Rachel, Joseph quickly has two sons. (NIV footnotes: Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for "forget"; Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for "twice fruitful.")

Genesis 41:53-57, Famine
The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."  When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.

The famine arrives and storehouses are opened. Joseph's dream interpretations are confirmed.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day shalom

שָׁלוֹם

a masculine noun often translated "peace", but also signifying completeness or prosperity. In verse 16 above, the NIV translates Joseph as saying that God will give the Pharaoh the answer "he deserves." But the Hebrew is literally that God will give the Pharaoh the shalom answer, the answer of peace.

Some Random Thoughts

The religion of ancient Egypt, like that of the all ANE, was polytheistic, with many gods representing many attributes of life. Indeed, Joseph marries a leading woman in the worship of On. No comment is made on that marriage but it is easy to underestimate the polytheism of the ANE and so miss the repeated message that, against the flow of that culture, the descendants of Abraham are worshiping the One God.

First published Feb 17, 2023; updated Feb 17, 2026

Genesis 40, Joseph in Prison

Joseph, accused of attempted rape, has been imprisoned.

Genesis 40:1-8a, Joseph meets two men in prison
Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt.  Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.

The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. 

After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men--the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison--had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"

"We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." 

Two imprisoned officials report strange dreams to the young dreamer.

Genesis 40:8b-15, Joseph interprets the cupbearer's dream
Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand."

"This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.

But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon."

Joseph insists that dream interpretation is in the realm of God and demands to hear the dream.  He appears confident that God will provide him with the correct interpretation.  At the conclusion of his interpretation of the cupbearer's dream, he asks for help once the dream is fulfilled.

Alter points out the Hebrew word translated "dungeon" at the end of verse 15 is bowr (בּוֹר.) This word has not occurred previously in this chapter; it previously occurred in Genesis only in chapter 37 where it described the pit into which his brothers confined him before selling him to the traders. This is the second time Joseph has been in a pit.

Genesis 40:16-19, Joseph interprets the chief baker's dream
When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head."

"This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your flesh."

The second official hopes for a similar positive interpretation. His head too will be "lifted up." But not in the same way.

NIV footnotes: "hang you on a tree" could be "impale you on a pole".  Alter translates this passage as "impale you on a pole". 

Genesis 40:20-23, Dreams fulfilled
Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

The dreams are fulfilled. In the excitement of returning to power, the chief cupbearer forgets Joseph.

This story is remarkably told, with the two parallel dreams about the next three days and the fulfillment of those dreams. Despite the dramatic evidence of God's touch on Joseph, Joseph is immediately forgotten.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day talah

תָּלָה

a verb meaning to hang, to suspend. This is used in a number of places (here and in the book of Esther,  Esther 7, a thousand years later) to indicate an execution. The execution most likely involved cutting off the person's head and hanging the head on a pole, where the public could see the result of disobedience to the ruler. In Deuteronomy 21:22-23, one whose body is hung on a pole is cursed by God. Despite that, their body was to be taken down at night.

In the Old Testament the verb often indicates an execution, but it need not be used that way. The word appears in Job 26:7 where God suspends the earth over empty space and in Psalm 137:2 where grieving musicians hang their harps on nearby trees.

Some Random Thoughts

More on hanging.... In the 1860s, Russia invaded Bukhara in central Asia. Although they were eventually successful, an early defeat led to the Emirate of Bukhara displaying severed Russian heads on poles. This event was later preserved in a painting, below. So the execution first mentioned in this chapter was practiced for at least three millenia.

Heads of Russian soldkers on poles at Buhkara, c. 1866

In the New Testament, Paul, in his letter to the Galatians cites the Deuteronomy passage (mentioned above) and argues that Jesus, in his death on the cross, took on the curse of all mankind, as one cursed by being hung on a tree (see Galatians 3:13.)

First published Feb 16, 2023; updated Feb 16, 2026

Who Wrote the Torah?

Who wrote the Torah?

In Exodus 20, we read of the Law being given by YHWH to Moses.  But who wrote the Torah, the so-called Five Books of Moses? Tradition has that, like the law, all of it was written by Moses. But the author is not identified in Scripture and there are numerous opinions, some traditional, some relatively new (that is, within the last two centuries.)

The Five Books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, were named in Greek, The Pentateuch (which means "five books".) The term "Book of the Law of Moses" appears in Joshua 8:31-32, but it is not clear what is meant there -- surely it is not the full Five Books? The same term appears in Joshua 23:6. Although the Law is given at Mt. Sinai to Moses, it is not clear if he wrote additional material. And at the end of the book of Deuteronomy we read of the death and burial of Moses. The Talmud taught that that final paragraph was added by Joshua.

Those of us who believe the Torah is Scripture have no obligation to believe the traditional statements that surround this question. There is evidence of some editing done at a later stage, possibly when the five books were brought together to present to Israel. Without appealing to Hebrew, one can see hints of this -- beyond the paragraph on the death of Moses -- when, in Genesis 34:7, the author (or editor?) write "Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel ... a thing that should not be done."  The phrase, "in Israel", which I have put in italics, jumps out as a statement about a nation, not a family. The author/editor says, in Genesis 36:31, in describing the descendants of Esau, "These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned." The writer seems aware of kings reigning in Israel, a comment presumably made by someone at least as late as Samuel or David.

There are numerous places in the Five Books in which an appeal is made to something that "remains to today." The tomb of Rachel, mentioned in Genesis 35:20 is one of many examples.  The author knew of the locations of these places (such as Rachel's tomb) and so seems relatively close to her time. This could have been written by Joshua or Samuel, some centuries later, for example. (Later Old Testament books will have similar statements, displaying the authors' expectations of readers, at the time of the writing.)

For one viewpoint on the authorship of the Torah, see this online article: Who Wrote the Torah According to the Torah?

The Documentary Hypothesis

Read any commentary on one of these five books and at some point you will be introduced to the more "modern" Documentary Hypothesis for the Pentateuch. The documentary hypothesis, dating from the late nineteenth century, claims that the Pentateuch has four independent sources.  Two of the sources are distinguished by their name for God: the J (Jehovah) document uses YHWH as the name for God while the E (Elohim) source uses Elohim, the more generic Hebrew word for "God". As we read through the Five Books, we will see that Deuteronomy repeats significant parts of the earlier books and so the documentary hypothesis claims a third writer, D, writing much of Deuteronomy. A fourth writer, P, from the Priestly class, supposedly focuses more on the liturgy and ritual of ceremonies and sacrifices. The Five Books were then supposedly put together by editors ("redactors") into a common Hebrew manuscript.

The arguments for the Documentary Hypothesis often lean on subtleties in Hebrew words, subtleties in the word usage in one passage as opposed to the word usage in another. Although I do not read Hebrew, I recognize in this discussion -- from my life as a university professor -- the scholarly desire to pick apart any concept, at times ad nauseum, in a sequence of papers or doctoral dissertations. In some places this can be very beneficial. (I love Hubbard's discussion of the word hesed in his commentary on Ruth and Ime's discussion of YHWH's name in her class on Exodus!)  In other places, conjecture spirals into more conjecture, without clear insight (at least to me.)  

The Wikipedia article on the Documentary Hypothesis (see link above) claims that this view has now collapsed and that there are a number of more recent viewpoints on how the Five Books came together, either as an original coherent document with a little bit of editing, or as a number of documents compiled by an editor. Robert Alter (not a Christian, but a Jewish scholar) attacks the Documentary Hypothesis because, in his opinion, the Hebrew text shows more coherence than that hypothesis admits.

Authors and editors

The question, "Who wrote the Torah?" can easily be expanded to all of the Old Testament. Who wrote the book of Ruth? Who wrote The Psalms? The Psalms show very clear evidence of compilation and editing; many editorial notes appear in the text of a psalm, just before the first verse.  

Similar questions arise in the New Testament -- the clearest example, requiring no knowledge of Greek, is the case of the first three Gospels, the Synoptic Gospels, presumably relying on a common source before they were written down. John, in his Gospel, is aware of either that common source or (more likely) one of the other gospels, for he writes down important episodes that the first three writers left out!  Ah, but I digress ... let me return to the Old Testament...

Pointer to Messiah

I find all of the questions interesting but not deeply significant.  I have no obligation to support any particular viewpoint on Pentateuch authorship and the text does not make a claim.  I do intend to read the Old Testament with at least as much respect as I would give any historical document, that is, I assume it is relatively coherent and is a source for our understanding of historical events. As a Christian, I assume that YHWH has, in these documents, a message for His People, using the Torah and later writings to point to the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua.  With that expectation, I find the writings moving and powerful ... and humbling.  I am immensely enjoying my study in the Old Testament!

First published Feb 6, 2023; updated Feb 15, 2026

Genesis 39, Joseph in Potiphar's House

After the brief interlude about Judah and Tamar, we return to the story of Joseph. The last 12 chapters of Genesis will describe the events that led the clan of Israel into Egypt. As our story of humanity focuses on a single man and his actions, we get considerable dialogue.

Genesis 39:1-6a, Joseph in Potiphar's house
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did,

Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. 

God blesses Joseph and his talents are recognized. As God blesses Jacob, the blessing extends to his Egyptian master.

Genesis 39:6b-10, Attempted seduction
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"

But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"

And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

But Potiphar's wife lusts after Joseph and tries to seduce him. Joseph declines, citing the trust Potiphar has placed upon him. Joseph's focus is on integrity.

Genesis 39:11-15, Sex refused
One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside.  She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."

A final refusal sets off a cry of attempted rape. The wife's complaint to the servants has a primary accusation of sexual assault but hints at a secondary complaint about her husband's choices, that her husband has brought a foreigner to take advantage of the wife and household staff.

Genesis 39:16-19, Falsely accused
She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."

When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger.

Potiphar believes his wife's accusation. Note that she blames him for allowing the incident. He hired "that Hebrew"!

Genesis 39:20-23, Prison!
Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. 

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

And so Joseph is imprisoned. (Potiphar's wife's accusation might have led to the execution of Joseph. The fact that Joseph is imprisoned, not executed, may suggest that Potiphar had some doubts about his wife's accusations.)

Even in prison, the talents of Joseph are recognized and people benefit by his stewardship. God has a long-term plan for Joseph, a plan stretching across more than a decade.

This chapter displays an Old Testament technique of inclusio (set of bookends). The story of Potiphar's wife is set off by these statements at the beginning and end of the chapter:

The Lord was with Joseph ... the Lord was with him and ... gave him success in everything he did,

and

 the Lord was with him...  the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

These bookends set aside the episode of Potiphar's wife from the rest of the Genesis scroll and provides a counterpoint to the abuse and defeat Joseph appears to be suffering.

Some Hebrew vocabulary

Our Hebrew word for the day is the name Ibri

עִבְרִי

translated "Hebrew". This is the second time in Genesis that this term appears. (It is earlier used to identify Abraham in Genesis 14:13.) In this chapter the word is used by Potifar's wife as an insult. Later we will learn (Genesis 43:32) that the Egyptians found it detestable to eat with Hebrews.

Some Random Thoughts

The ministry of Joseph is marked throughout with integrity. He is a capable administrator and when propositioned, responds with a statement about his duty to Potiphar. The character of Joseph (supported by God's intervention) eventually leads Joseph to a position of prestige.

First published Feb 15, 2023; updated Feb 14, 2026