Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 43

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 43 Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin to Egypt—Joseph's brethren make obeisance to him—They all eat and drink together.	Ironically, Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin to Egypt by Judah who is the same who had arranged for Joseph to be sold to Egypt as a slave—According to Joseph's previous dream, Joseph's brethern bow down to Joseph and make obeisance to him which also is a foreshadow of the last days when all the tribes of Israel we come to the house of Joseph and do so again in the process of the gathering of Israel unto the Lord's latter-day Church—They all eat and drink together in the same house.
1 AND the famine was sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.		1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
3 And Judah spake unto him^a, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your ^abrother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your ^abrother be with you.	3^a Judah spake unto him Judah here usurps the roll of the speaker, the rightful head of the house next to Jacob, heir and 'firstborn', persuming Joseph dead, Reuben in bad graces due to his infidility, Simeon in prison in Egypt as well as confederate with Levi in committing the atroscities against the Shechemites. Further it is ironic that it is this same Judah who presumed the leadership role in arrange Joseph to sold into Egypt because of his jealousy of Joseph and in his efforts to ursurp Joseph's position as the selected firstborn of the house of Jacob. This continues to be 'Judah's position' later when they claim David as their own after rejecting him and pronouncing upon themselves the right of leadership of Israel, having prevailed on the presumption that all of Israel had been scattered to the wind and the compass points of the earth. It had been Judah's asperation to prevail above all his brothern from the start and Judah in the Stick of Judah so self proclaims it to have been accomplished, even claiming the Messiah to be of their linage and failing to recognize the 'right of the dead' whose seed, Obed, the first born of Ruth, was in fact by the Law of God the rightful heir, not of Boaz but of the house of Elimelech and Naomi, being the lawful son of their son Mahlon, the first husband of Ruth, Boaz merely acting a surrogate in raising up seed to the dead (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).	1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?		1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee^a, and set him before thee, then let me bear the ^ablame for ever: 10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.	9^a I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee Again ironically it is Judah, who should have presumed such responsibility for Joseph is in truth was really scincere years prior rather than selling his brother to be taken to Egypt to become a slave. And while Judah's offer seem benevolent here at this time, one must clearly consider who it is that Judah is really looking out after even here, himself. For if they do not obtain more food, indeed they will all die including, yep, Judah, and Judah's main motivation is his personal servival. Judah should have considered his 'spiritural' servival as sincerely as he now considers his physical servival at this time, then he never would have sought Joseph's life and then due to Reuben's interjection, settled for selling his brother Joseph into salvery for his own presumed promotional gains toward becoming the next in line to Jacob as the head of the house and of the blessing of the firstborn.	1^a TG Jesus Christ, Appearances, Antemortal 2^a Josh. 5:13; TG Angels ^b 3 Ne. 11:19; Ether 6:12; TG Courtesy 3^a JST Gen. 18:3 ...brethren... 4^a TG Washing ^b TG Hospitality 5^a OR sustain... ^b Gen. 19:8
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:^a 12 And take double money in your hand; and the ^amoney that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks^a, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 ¶ And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand^a, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house^a.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 And said, O ^asir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy ^bfood: 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's ^amoney was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they ^awashed their feet^a; and he gave their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 ¶ And when Joseph came home, *they brought him the present which was* in their hand into the house, and ^abowed themselves to him to the earth^a*. 27 And he asked them of their* welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old ^aman of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? 28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance^a.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother ^aBenjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and ^awept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. 32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his ^abirthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took and sent ^amesses unto them from before him: but ^bBenjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.