Genesis 44, One Final Test from Joseph

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.

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.

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.  The ten could have abandoned Benjamin, just like they abandoned Joseph.  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 probably 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.