Genesis 43 Study Notes
General
How is Benjamin treated differently from his brothers at the meal in Genesis 43:34?
Answer: His share of the food is five times the size of anyone else's
When food is sent over from the head table, Benjamin's is five times as large as any of his brothers' (43:34), and the meal continues with the brothers eating and drinking freely alongside Joseph. Given the brothers' history of jealousy over Jacob's favoritism toward Rachel's son Joseph, this conspicuous favor toward Rachel's other son may have been a way of testing whether that old envy still burned, although the text does not state Joseph's purpose. What is clear is that no resentment surfaces.
- Genesis 43:34 (BSB)“When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.”Benjamin receives five times more food than his brothers, and they all feast freely with Joseph.
- Genesis 37:3 (BSB)“Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.”Jacob's visible favoritism toward Joseph was what first stirred the brothers' resentment.
- Genesis 37:4 (BSB)“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”Shows how that favoritism turned into hatred so deep that the brothers could not speak kindly to Joseph.
- Genesis 45:22 (BSB)“He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.”Joseph later singles out Benjamin again with a larger gift, continuing this pattern of conspicuous favor.
Theological
Many interpreters see Benjamin's enlarged portion in Genesis 43:34 as part of Joseph's testing. What makes that reading plausible from the wider narrative?
Answer: The brothers had once hated Joseph over their father's open favoritism, so visible favor to Rachel's other son probes whether that envy remains
The text does not state why Joseph gave Benjamin five times as much (43:34), but the surrounding story makes a test plausible. Genesis 37 traced the brothers' hatred of Joseph to their father's visible preference for him; now another son of Rachel receives conspicuous favor in their presence. That the meal ends with everyone eating and drinking freely, with no hint of resentment, suggests something has changed. The sharper test of whether they will abandon Rachel's son comes with the silver cup in the next chapter.
- Genesis 43:34 (BSB)“When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.”Benjamin receives five times more food than his brothers, and they all feast freely with Joseph.
- Genesis 37:3 (BSB)“Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.”Jacob's visible favoritism toward Joseph was what first stirred the brothers' resentment.
- Genesis 37:4 (BSB)“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”Shows how that favoritism turned into hatred so deep that the brothers could not speak kindly to Joseph.
- Genesis 45:22 (BSB)“He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.”Joseph later singles out Benjamin again with a larger gift, continuing this pattern of conspicuous favor.
General
What do the brothers do when Joseph arrives home in Genesis 43:26-28?
Answer: They present their gifts and bow down before him, then bow again after telling him their father is well
When Joseph returns at noon, the brothers present the gift they brought and prostrate themselves before him (43:26). Joseph asks after their welfare and about their aged father, and when they reply that their father, his servant, is alive and well, they bow down again in honor (43:27-28). These repeated bows fulfill the dream Joseph had as a young man, in which his brothers' sheaves bowed down to his, the very dream that had provoked their hatred.
- Genesis 43:26 (BSB)“When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.”The brothers present their gifts and prostrate themselves before Joseph when he comes home.
- Genesis 43:28 (BSB)““Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.”After reporting that their father is well, the brothers bow before Joseph a second time.
- Genesis 37:7 (BSB)“We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.””Joseph's first dream pictured his brothers' sheaves bowing to his own.
- Genesis 42:6 (BSB)“Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.”Records the brothers bowing to Joseph on their first visit, an earlier fulfillment of the same dream.
- Genesis 42:9 (BSB)“Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.””Shows that Joseph himself connected the brothers' bowing with the dreams he remembered.
Theological
The brothers' bowing before Joseph in Genesis 43:26-28 connects most directly to which earlier event?
Answer: Joseph's dream of his brothers' sheaves bowing to his own, which they had angrily rejected
The brothers once mocked Joseph's dream and hated him for suggesting they would bow to him. Now, without knowing who he is, they bow before him twice in one scene (43:26, 28), as they had already done on their first visit, and Joseph himself had connected their bowing with his dreams. The repeated fulfillment underlines that the dream revealed what God intended to bring about, not the boast of a pampered younger son. Their attempt to thwart the dream by selling Joseph became the very route by which it came true.
- Genesis 43:26 (BSB)“When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.”The brothers present their gifts and prostrate themselves before Joseph when he comes home.
- Genesis 43:28 (BSB)““Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.”After reporting that their father is well, the brothers bow before Joseph a second time.
- Genesis 37:7 (BSB)“We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.””Joseph's first dream pictured his brothers' sheaves bowing to his own.
- Genesis 42:6 (BSB)“Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.”Records the brothers bowing to Joseph on their first visit, an earlier fulfillment of the same dream.
- Genesis 42:9 (BSB)“Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.””Shows that Joseph himself connected the brothers' bowing with the dreams he remembered.
General
True or False: Before entering Joseph's house, the brothers go to the steward and explain that they found their silver in their sacks and have returned it.
Answer: True
This is true. At the doorway of the house the brothers approach Joseph's steward and explain themselves (43:19-22). They say they came the first time only to buy food, that when they stopped for the night each man discovered his full payment in his sack, that they have returned it, and that they have brought more silver for new grain. They insist they have no idea who put the silver there. Their openness contrasts with the concealment they practiced toward their father for years.
- Genesis 43:19-22 (BSB)“So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.””At the doorway the brothers explain to the steward how they found their silver and insist they have brought it back.
- Genesis 42:35 (BSB)“As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.”Records the moment the brothers found each man's silver in his sack.
- 2 Corinthians 8:21 (BSB)“For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.”Commends the kind of open, visible honesty the brothers show by disclosing the silver before anyone asks.
Theological
True or False: In Genesis 43:19-22 the brothers conceal the returned silver from the steward, hoping no one will ask about it.
Answer: False
This is false. The brothers take the initiative to disclose the matter, telling the steward about the silver found in their sacks, stating that they have returned it in full, and protesting that they do not know how it got there (43:19-22). They act openly rather than hiding anything, in keeping with Jacob's instruction to return the silver. Paul later describes an honesty that is careful to be seen as upright by people as well as by God, and the brothers' openness here is that kind of visible integrity; the steward's reassurance follows in the very next verse.
- Genesis 43:19-22 (BSB)“So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.””At the doorway the brothers explain to the steward how they found their silver and insist they have brought it back.
- Genesis 42:35 (BSB)“As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.”Records the moment the brothers found each man's silver in his sack.
- 2 Corinthians 8:21 (BSB)“For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.”Commends the kind of open, visible honesty the brothers show by disclosing the silver before anyone asks.
General
Why are the brothers afraid when they are led into the official's home in Genesis 43:18?
Answer: They assume the returned silver from the first trip is the reason and fear being seized as slaves
Rather than feeling honored, the brothers are terrified. They conclude that the invitation is a pretext connected with the silver found in their sacks, and they imagine being overpowered and made slaves, donkeys and all (43:18). Their fear reveals a troubled conscience; on the previous journey they had already decided that their distress was punishment for what they had done to Joseph. Proverbs observes that the guilty run even when nobody is chasing them, and guilt tends to read hidden threats into ordinary kindness.
- Genesis 43:17-18 (BSB)“The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house. But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.””The brothers are frightened at being brought to Joseph's house and assume they will be seized as slaves.
- Genesis 42:21-22 (BSB)“Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!””The brothers had already concluded that their troubles were punishment for what they did to Joseph.
- Proverbs 28:1 (BSB)“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”Describes how a guilty conscience imagines pursuit where there is none.
Theological
The brothers read Joseph's hospitality in Genesis 43:18 as a plot to enslave them. What does their reaction reveal?
Answer: A guilty conscience that treats even kindness as looming judgment, bound up with their memory of selling Joseph
Nothing in Joseph's orders threatens the brothers, yet they instantly assume a trap (43:18). Their reaction fits what Genesis 42 already disclosed, when they told one another that their distress was repayment for ignoring Joseph's anguish. There is an irony too: the men who once sold their brother into slavery now fear being made slaves themselves. A burdened conscience, as Proverbs notes, makes people run when nobody is chasing them.
- Genesis 43:17-18 (BSB)“The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house. But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.””The brothers are frightened at being brought to Joseph's house and assume they will be seized as slaves.
- Genesis 42:21-22 (BSB)“Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!””The brothers had already concluded that their troubles were punishment for what they did to Joseph.
- Proverbs 28:1 (BSB)“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”Describes how a guilty conscience imagines pursuit where there is none.
General
True or False: Jacob instructs his sons to carry twice the silver so they can give back the payment found in their sacks, suggesting it may have been an oversight.
Answer: True
This is true. Jacob tells them to carry double silver, so they could give back the payment that had turned up in their sacks and still buy new grain, adding that perhaps it had been a mistake (43:12). The instruction shows Jacob's concern for honest dealing and his worry that the family could be accused of theft. Earlier they had been badly shaken when they discovered the silver, sensing that God was doing something to them they did not understand.
- Genesis 43:12 (BSB)“Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.”Jacob tells his sons to take twice the silver so they can return what was found in their sacks.
- Genesis 42:25 (BSB)“Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,”Reveals that Joseph had ordered the silver returned, which explains what Jacob calls a possible mistake.
- Genesis 42:28 (BSB)““My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?””Records the brothers' fear when they first discovered the silver and wondered what God was doing to them.
- Genesis 42:35 (BSB)“As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.”Shows the whole family's dismay when every man's silver turned up in his sack.
Theological
True or False: In Genesis 43:12 Jacob tells his sons to keep the returned silver, reasoning that it was a gift from the Egyptian official.
Answer: False
This is false. Jacob insists the returned silver be carried back, together with fresh silver for new grain, and he allows that it may have been an error (43:12). He wants no hint of dishonesty attached to his sons. The brothers had earlier wondered in fear what God was doing to them when the silver reappeared; Jacob's instruction aims to clear their name, even though the true reason for the silver, Joseph's own order, remains hidden from them.
- Genesis 43:12 (BSB)“Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.”Jacob tells his sons to take twice the silver so they can return what was found in their sacks.
- Genesis 42:25 (BSB)“Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,”Reveals that Joseph had ordered the silver returned, which explains what Jacob calls a possible mistake.
- Genesis 42:28 (BSB)““My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?””Records the brothers' fear when they first discovered the silver and wondered what God was doing to them.
- Genesis 42:35 (BSB)“As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.”Shows the whole family's dismay when every man's silver turned up in his sack.
General
Why are Joseph, the brothers, and the Egyptian guests served separately in Genesis 43:32?
Answer: Egyptians considered eating with Hebrews detestable
The meal is served in three groups: Joseph by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves (43:32). The text explains that Egyptians would not share a table with Hebrews, because they regarded it as an abomination. Genesis later notes a similar Egyptian aversion to shepherds, which becomes one reason Jacob's family is settled apart in Goshen, keeping Israel a distinct people within Egypt.
- Genesis 43:32 (BSB)“They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.”Joseph, the brothers, and the Egyptians are served separately because Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews.
- Genesis 46:34 (BSB)“you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.””Shows a similar Egyptian aversion to shepherds, which later leads to Israel settling in Goshen.
- Exodus 8:26 (BSB)“But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?”Confirms that Israel's practices were regarded as detestable by Egyptians even generations later.
Theological
How does the separate seating in Genesis 43:32 connect to the later arrangement for Jacob's family in Egypt?
Answer: Egyptian aversion to Hebrews and shepherds kept Israel socially distinct, which later helped secure them a separate region in Goshen
The Egyptian refusal to eat with Hebrews (43:32) is the first sign of a social barrier that Genesis develops further when Joseph coaches his family to tell Pharaoh they are keepers of livestock, knowing Egyptians despised shepherds and would let them live apart in Goshen. Generations later Moses still speaks of Israel's worship as detestable to Egyptians. God used this cultural distance to keep the covenant family from being absorbed into Egypt, so that they grew into a distinct people who could later be brought out as a nation.
- Genesis 43:32 (BSB)“They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.”Joseph, the brothers, and the Egyptians are served separately because Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews.
- Genesis 46:34 (BSB)“you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.””Shows a similar Egyptian aversion to shepherds, which later leads to Israel settling in Goshen.
- Exodus 8:26 (BSB)“But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?”Confirms that Israel's practices were regarded as detestable by Egyptians even generations later.
General
According to Genesis 43:1-2, what prompts Jacob to tell his sons to go back to Egypt?
Answer: The famine is still heavy on the land and the grain from their first trip has been used up
The famine has not let up, and once the family has eaten through the grain brought back on the first journey, Jacob tells his sons to return and purchase some additional grain (43:1-2). Notice that Jacob speaks only of buying food and says nothing about Simeon, who is still being held in Egypt; hunger, not a rescue mission, is what finally forces the family's hand. The famine itself was no accident of weather. Pharaoh's dreams had already announced seven years of plenty followed by seven years of devastating scarcity, so the pressure on Jacob's household is part of what God had revealed beforehand.
- Genesis 43:1-2 (BSB)“Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.””The famine continues, and once the grain from Egypt is gone Jacob tells his sons to go back and buy more.
- Genesis 41:29-30 (BSB)“Behold, 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 the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.”Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream had announced seven years of severe famine following the years of plenty.
- Genesis 41:32 (BSB)“Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.”Shows that the famine was a matter God had fixed and would bring about, not a random disaster.
- Genesis 42:1-2 (BSB)“When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” “Look,” he added, “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.””Jacob's instruction on the first journey used the same reasoning of buying food so the family could survive.
Theological
Genesis 43:1-2 shows the famine forcing Jacob to send his sons back to Egypt. How does this pressure relate to what God had earlier revealed through Pharaoh's dreams?
Answer: The ongoing famine is the very scarcity God had announced beforehand, and it is now driving Jacob's family toward Joseph
The famine pressing on Jacob's household is the same seven-year scarcity God had revealed to Pharaoh through the dreams Joseph interpreted, a matter God had decreed and would carry out. What looks to Jacob like simple, grinding necessity (43:1-2) is one of the means by which God is steering the covenant family back toward the brother they had sold. Jacob's reasoning echoes his instruction on the first journey, that they should go so the family might live, and it is hunger rather than any stated concern for Simeon that moves him to act again.
- Genesis 43:1-2 (BSB)“Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.””The famine continues, and once the grain from Egypt is gone Jacob tells his sons to go back and buy more.
- Genesis 41:29-30 (BSB)“Behold, 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 the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.”Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream had announced seven years of severe famine following the years of plenty.
- Genesis 41:32 (BSB)“Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.”Shows that the famine was a matter God had fixed and would bring about, not a random disaster.
- Genesis 42:1-2 (BSB)“When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” “Look,” he added, “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.””Jacob's instruction on the first journey used the same reasoning of buying food so the family could survive.
General
True or False: In Genesis 43:6-7, Jacob blames his sons for bringing trouble on him by telling the Egyptian official that they had another brother.
Answer: True
This is true. Jacob asks why they caused him such trouble by revealing the existence of another brother (43:6). The brothers defend themselves by explaining that the official had questioned them closely about their family, asking whether their father was living and whether they had another brother, and that they simply answered; they could not have known he would demand to see the youngest (43:7). Jacob's complaint echoes his earlier lament that everything seemed to be going against him.
- Genesis 43:6-7 (BSB)““Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?””Jacob reproaches his sons for revealing Benjamin's existence, and they explain that the official questioned them closely.
- Genesis 42:36 (BSB)“Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!””Jacob's earlier lament shows the same weary sense that everything is turning against him.
- Genesis 42:13 (BSB)“But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.””Records the brothers' earlier account of their family before the official, including the youngest son at home.
Theological
True or False: According to Genesis 43:7, the brothers admit that they told the official about Benjamin unprompted, hoping to impress him.
Answer: False
This is false. The brothers insist the official drew the information out of them by questioning them in detail about their father and any other brother, and that they answered truthfully without foreseeing where it would lead (43:7). Nothing in their reply suggests a scheme to impress anyone. Jacob's reproach (43:6) comes from the same grief-worn despair he voiced after the first journey, when he felt that all his losses were piling up on him at once.
- Genesis 43:6-7 (BSB)““Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?””Jacob reproaches his sons for revealing Benjamin's existence, and they explain that the official questioned them closely.
- Genesis 42:36 (BSB)“Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!””Jacob's earlier lament shows the same weary sense that everything is turning against him.
- Genesis 42:13 (BSB)“But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.””Records the brothers' earlier account of their family before the official, including the youngest son at home.
General
In Genesis 43:14, what does Jacob ask of God as he finally lets Benjamin go?
Answer: That God Almighty would cause the official to show them compassion, so Simeon and Benjamin could come home
Jacob sends his sons off with a prayer that God Almighty would move the official to show them compassion and release both Simeon and Benjamin (43:14). He then adds a resigned statement that if he must lose his children, then so be it. The name Jacob uses, God Almighty, is the name under which God had made His covenant promises to Abraham and later renewed them to Jacob himself at Bethel, so his prayer leans on the God who had pledged to make his family fruitful.
- Genesis 43:13-14 (BSB)“Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.””Jacob releases Benjamin and prays that God Almighty will move the official to mercy.
- Genesis 17:1 (BSB)“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.”God Almighty is the name under which God appeared to Abraham to confirm His covenant.
- Genesis 35:11 (BSB)“And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.”God used the same name when renewing His promises of fruitfulness to Jacob at Bethel.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”Affirms that God directs even a ruler's heart, which is exactly what Jacob asks Him to do.
Theological
Jacob's prayer in Genesis 43:14 invokes God Almighty and ends with a resigned acceptance of possible bereavement. What best describes this moment?
Answer: A father who has run out of ways to control the outcome commits his sons to the covenant God who rules even a foreign ruler's heart
Jacob has resisted releasing Benjamin at every turn, but he can hold on no longer. He commits his sons to God Almighty, the covenant name tied to God's promises of fruitfulness to Abraham and to Jacob at Bethel, asking that the official be moved to mercy (43:14). His closing words about losing his children are resignation rather than defiance; he has no promise of the outcome and places it in God's hands. Proverbs affirms that even a king's heart is directed by the LORD wherever He pleases, and the reader already knows that the official whose heart Jacob asks God to incline is Joseph himself.
- Genesis 43:13-14 (BSB)“Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.””Jacob releases Benjamin and prays that God Almighty will move the official to mercy.
- Genesis 17:1 (BSB)“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.”God Almighty is the name under which God appeared to Abraham to confirm His covenant.
- Genesis 35:11 (BSB)“And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.”God used the same name when renewing His promises of fruitfulness to Jacob at Bethel.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”Affirms that God directs even a ruler's heart, which is exactly what Jacob asks Him to do.
General
What does Jacob tell his sons to take to the Egyptian official as a gift in Genesis 43:11?
Answer: Balm, honey, and spices along with myrrh, almonds, and pistachios
Once Jacob accepts that Benjamin must go, he tells his sons to carry some of the choicest produce of Canaan as a present for the official (43:11): modest amounts of balm and honey together with spices, myrrh, and nuts. It is the same strategy Jacob once used with Esau, sending a present ahead in hope of finding favor with a man who held his family's fate in his hands. There is also an irony here: balm, spices, and myrrh were the very goods carried by the Ishmaelite caravan that took Joseph down to Egypt.
- Genesis 43:11 (BSB)“Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.”Jacob relents and tells his sons to carry some of Canaan's finest produce as a present for the official.
- Genesis 32:20 (BSB)“You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.””Jacob had used the same approach with Esau, sending a gift ahead in hope of appeasing him.
- Genesis 37:25 (BSB)“And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.”The Ishmaelite caravan that carried Joseph to Egypt was loaded with similar goods, a quiet irony in Jacob's gift.
- Proverbs 18:16 (BSB)“A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.”States the general principle Jacob is relying on, that a gift can gain a hearing before powerful people.
Theological
Genesis 43:11 has Jacob sending a present of Canaan's best produce to the Egyptian official. Which earlier episode in Jacob's life does this most closely resemble?
Answer: His sending of a large gift on ahead to appease Esau before their meeting
Facing a powerful figure whose intentions he cannot read, Jacob falls back on the approach he used with Esau, sending a gift in hope of appeasing a man who holds his family's fate in his hands (43:11; compare 32:20). Proverbs observes that a gift can open doors before the great. The contents carry a quiet irony as well, since balm, spices, and myrrh are the very goods the Ishmaelite traders were carrying when the brothers sold Joseph to them; the brothers now bring similar wares to the brother they sold.
- Genesis 43:11 (BSB)“Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.”Jacob relents and tells his sons to carry some of Canaan's finest produce as a present for the official.
- Genesis 32:20 (BSB)“You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.””Jacob had used the same approach with Esau, sending a gift ahead in hope of appeasing him.
- Genesis 37:25 (BSB)“And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.”The Ishmaelite caravan that carried Joseph to Egypt was loaded with similar goods, a quiet irony in Jacob's gift.
- Proverbs 18:16 (BSB)“A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.”States the general principle Jacob is relying on, that a gift can gain a hearing before powerful people.
General
True or False: One of Joseph's first questions to his brothers when he arrives home is whether their elderly father is still living.
Answer: True
This is true. After greeting them, Joseph asks about the aged father they had told him about and whether he is living (43:27). They answer that their father, whom they call Joseph's servant, is well and living, and they bow again (43:28). Joseph's concern for his father surfaces repeatedly; when he finally reveals himself, one of his very first questions is once more whether his father is alive.
- Genesis 43:27-28 (BSB)“He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.”Joseph asks about the brothers' welfare and whether their elderly father is still living.
- Genesis 45:3 (BSB)“Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.”Joseph's question about his father is among the very first words he speaks when he reveals himself.
- Genesis 42:13 (BSB)“But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.””The brothers had told Joseph on the first visit that their youngest brother was at home with their father.
Theological
True or False: When Joseph asks about their father in Genesis 43:27-28, the brothers report that Jacob has died during their absence.
Answer: False
This is false. They tell Joseph that his servant, their father, is well and still alive (43:28). Joseph's question about Jacob, which he asks again at the very moment he discloses his identity (45:3), shows a son's concern for his father that, for now, he keeps hidden behind his official role.
- Genesis 43:27-28 (BSB)“He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.”Joseph asks about the brothers' welfare and whether their elderly father is still living.
- Genesis 45:3 (BSB)“Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.”Joseph's question about his father is among the very first words he speaks when he reveals himself.
- Genesis 42:13 (BSB)“But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.””The brothers had told Joseph on the first visit that their youngest brother was at home with their father.
General
How does Joseph react on seeing Benjamin in Genesis 43:29-31?
Answer: He blesses him, then rushes out to weep alone in an inner room before composing himself and returning
Seeing Benjamin, the only other son of his mother Rachel, Joseph confirms that this is the youngest brother they had spoken of and pronounces a blessing, asking God to be gracious to him (43:29). Overcome with emotion for his brother, he hurries out, finds a place to weep in private, then washes his face, controls himself, and orders the food to be served (43:30-31). Joseph's tears show that his hard testing of the brothers does not come from a cold heart; he had already turned aside to weep on the first visit.
- Genesis 43:29-31 (BSB)“When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.””Joseph blesses Benjamin, leaves to weep in private, and returns composed to order the meal.
- Genesis 42:24 (BSB)“And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”Joseph had already turned away to weep during the brothers' first visit.
- Genesis 35:24 (BSB)“The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.”Identifies Joseph and Benjamin as the two sons of Rachel, explaining Joseph's special bond with him.
Theological
What does Joseph's private weeping in Genesis 43:30-31 reveal about his testing of the brothers?
Answer: His severity is a controlled restraint over deep affection, not an expression of vengeance
Joseph is moved so deeply by the sight of Benjamin, Rachel's other son, that he must leave the room to weep before regaining his composure (43:30-31). This is the second time Genesis records him turning aside to weep during his dealings with the brothers. His tears show that the testing he carries out is not driven by a desire to pay them back. Whatever the full range of his motives, which the text does not spell out, his harsh manner is a restraint he chooses to keep, not an absence of love. The blessing he speaks over Benjamin (43:29) points the same direction.
- Genesis 43:29-31 (BSB)“When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.””Joseph blesses Benjamin, leaves to weep in private, and returns composed to order the meal.
- Genesis 42:24 (BSB)“And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”Joseph had already turned away to weep during the brothers' first visit.
- Genesis 35:24 (BSB)“The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.”Identifies Joseph and Benjamin as the two sons of Rachel, explaining Joseph's special bond with him.
General
When Joseph sees Benjamin among his brothers in Genesis 43:16, what does he instruct his steward to do?
Answer: Bring the men to his house and have a meal prepared so they can eat with him at midday
The brothers arrive carrying the gift and the double silver their father told them to take (43:15). As soon as Joseph sees Benjamin with them, he tells the steward who manages his house to bring the men to his house and have meat butchered and cooked, because they will eat with him at midday (43:16). On the earlier visit Joseph had spoken harshly and acted as though he did not know them; Benjamin's presence is what triggers this change, setting up the tense but lavish scene that follows.
- Genesis 43:15-16 (BSB)“So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.””The brothers arrive with Benjamin, and Joseph orders his steward to prepare a noon meal at his house.
- Genesis 42:7-8 (BSB)“And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.”On the first visit Joseph had treated the brothers harshly and as strangers, a sharp contrast with this invitation.
- Genesis 42:20 (BSB)“Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.”Joseph had made Benjamin's coming the condition for verifying the brothers' words.
Theological
What is significant about the timing of Joseph's invitation to dine in Genesis 43:16?
Answer: It comes the moment he sees Benjamin, showing that the brothers had met the condition Joseph had set
Joseph had made Benjamin's coming the proof of the brothers' honesty, and the text ties his invitation directly to seeing Benjamin among them (43:16). The contrast with his harsh treatment on the first visit is striking, yet Joseph still hides his identity. The testing is not finished; the meal and the silver cup in Genesis 44 will press further to discover whether the brothers have truly changed.
- Genesis 43:15-16 (BSB)“So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.””The brothers arrive with Benjamin, and Joseph orders his steward to prepare a noon meal at his house.
- Genesis 42:7-8 (BSB)“And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.”On the first visit Joseph had treated the brothers harshly and as strangers, a sharp contrast with this invitation.
- Genesis 42:20 (BSB)“Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.”Joseph had made Benjamin's coming the condition for verifying the brothers' words.
General
In Genesis 43:3-5, which brother speaks up to tell Jacob that they cannot return to Egypt without Benjamin?
Answer: Judah
Judah is the one who answers his father here (43:3-5). He reminds Jacob that the Egyptian official had solemnly warned them they would not be admitted to his presence again unless their youngest brother came along, and he states firmly that the brothers will go only if Benjamin goes with them. Earlier, Reuben had tried and failed to persuade Jacob; now Judah steps forward as the family's spokesman, a role he carries into the next chapter, where he pleads for Benjamin before Joseph.
- Genesis 43:3-5 (BSB)“But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’””Judah reminds Jacob of the Egyptian official's warning and refuses to go without Benjamin.
- Genesis 42:20 (BSB)“Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.”Records the original condition Joseph laid down: the youngest brother must be brought to verify their words.
- Genesis 42:37-38 (BSB)“Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.””Reuben's earlier attempt to persuade Jacob had been flatly refused, leaving room for Judah to step forward.
- Genesis 49:8-10 (BSB)“Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.”Jacob's later blessing gives Judah leadership among the brothers, the role he begins to take up here.
Theological
In Genesis 43:3-5 it is Judah, not Reuben the firstborn, who presses Jacob about Benjamin. What does this shift signal in the Joseph narrative?
Answer: Judah is emerging as the leading voice among the brothers, a role that becomes central in the chapters that follow
Reuben's earlier offer, staking the lives of his own two sons, had been refused outright by Jacob. Here Judah takes up the argument instead (43:3-5), and from this point on he acts as the brothers' spokesman, both in persuading Jacob and later in pleading before Joseph. The narrative is quietly preparing for the prominence Judah receives in Jacob's final blessing, where the scepter is promised to his tribe. Nothing here formally hands Judah the birthright; he steps into leadership by his own initiative and willingness to carry responsibility.
- Genesis 43:3-5 (BSB)“But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’””Judah reminds Jacob of the Egyptian official's warning and refuses to go without Benjamin.
- Genesis 42:20 (BSB)“Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.”Records the original condition Joseph laid down: the youngest brother must be brought to verify their words.
- Genesis 42:37-38 (BSB)“Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.””Reuben's earlier attempt to persuade Jacob had been flatly refused, leaving room for Judah to step forward.
- Genesis 49:8-10 (BSB)“Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.”Jacob's later blessing gives Judah leadership among the brothers, the role he begins to take up here.
General
In Genesis 43:8-9, what does Judah offer his father in order to persuade him to let Benjamin go?
Answer: He personally guarantees Benjamin's safety and accepts lifelong blame if he fails to bring him home
Judah makes himself the guarantor for Benjamin: his father may hold him personally accountable, and if he does not bring the boy back and stand him in front of Jacob, he will carry the blame for the rest of his life (43:8-9). Unlike Reuben's earlier offer, which put the lives of Reuben's two sons on the line, Judah stakes himself. This is a striking change from the Judah of Genesis 37, who proposed selling Joseph for profit; now he is willing to take responsibility for Rachel's other son at his own cost.
- Genesis 43:8-9 (BSB)“And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.”Judah offers himself as personal guarantee for Benjamin's safe return.
- Genesis 42:37-38 (BSB)“Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.””Reuben's earlier pledge put his sons' lives at stake rather than his own, and Jacob refused it.
- Genesis 37:26-27 (BSB)“Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.”Judah had once proposed selling Joseph for profit, which makes his self-pledge here a striking reversal.
- Hebrews 7:22 (BSB)“Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”Scripture later uses the language of guarantee for Jesus, Judah's descendant, who stands surety for His people.
Theological
What is distinctive about the pledge Judah makes for Benjamin in Genesis 43:8-9, when read against Judah's earlier conduct in Genesis 37?
Answer: Judah, who once proposed selling Joseph for profit, now binds himself personally as surety for Rachel's other son
In Genesis 37 Judah asked what profit there was in killing Joseph and proposed selling him instead; here he offers himself as surety, accepting that he will bear the blame before his father all his days if Benjamin does not return (43:8-9). The pledge is personal rather than transferred onto others, as Reuben's offer of his sons had been. It is the first clear sign of the transformation that comes to full expression in Judah's plea in Genesis 44. Hebrews later speaks of Jesus, a descendant of Judah, as the one who guarantees a superior covenant; Genesis does not draw that connection itself, but Judah binding himself as surety for another offers a faint early outline of it.
- Genesis 43:8-9 (BSB)“And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.”Judah offers himself as personal guarantee for Benjamin's safe return.
- Genesis 42:37-38 (BSB)“Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.””Reuben's earlier pledge put his sons' lives at stake rather than his own, and Jacob refused it.
- Genesis 37:26-27 (BSB)“Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.”Judah had once proposed selling Joseph for profit, which makes his self-pledge here a striking reversal.
- Hebrews 7:22 (BSB)“Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”Scripture later uses the language of guarantee for Jesus, Judah's descendant, who stands surety for His people.
General
True or False: Judah tells his father that, if they had not hesitated, they could have made the trip to Egypt and back two times by now.
Answer: True
This is true. Judah closes his appeal by pointing out how much time Jacob's reluctance has already cost: had they not hesitated, they could have gone and returned two times over (43:10). The remark underlines both the urgency of the famine and the family's dilemma, since every week of delay kept Simeon in custody and brought the household closer to starvation.
- Genesis 43:10 (BSB)“If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.””Judah complains that the family's delay has already cost them the time of two round trips.
- Genesis 42:19 (BSB)“If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.”Shows that one brother had been left in custody in Egypt, making every delay costly.
- Genesis 42:24 (BSB)“And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”Records Simeon being bound before the brothers' eyes, the brother still waiting in Egypt during this delay.
Theological
True or False: In Genesis 43:10 Judah suggests the brothers should wait until the famine ends before returning to Egypt.
Answer: False
This is false. Judah argues the opposite: the family has already waited too long, and they could have completed the round trip twice by this time (43:10). With Simeon still bound in Egypt and the famine far from over, Judah's point is that further hesitation only deepens the danger. His appeal presses Jacob toward a decision rather than toward more delay.
- Genesis 43:10 (BSB)“If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.””Judah complains that the family's delay has already cost them the time of two round trips.
- Genesis 42:19 (BSB)“If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.”Shows that one brother had been left in custody in Egypt, making every delay costly.
- Genesis 42:24 (BSB)“And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”Records Simeon being bound before the brothers' eyes, the brother still waiting in Egypt during this delay.
General
True or False: The brothers are astonished because their seats at Joseph's house have been arranged in exact order of age, from oldest to youngest.
Answer: True
This is true. The brothers find themselves placed at the table in precise birth order, from the firstborn down to the last-born, and they stare at each other in amazement (43:33). No stranger in Egypt should have known their ages so exactly. The detail heightens the mystery surrounding the official and hints to the reader that he knows far more about them than they realize, as indeed he does.
- Genesis 43:33 (BSB)“They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.”The brothers are seated in exact birth order and look at one another in astonishment.
- Genesis 42:7-8 (BSB)“And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.”Joseph recognized his brothers, though they did not recognize him, which explains how he could seat them by age.
- Genesis 42:23 (BSB)“They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.”The brothers did not realize that Joseph understood them, another sign of how much more he knew than they suspected.
Theological
True or False: The brothers treat the birth-order seating in Genesis 43:33 as unremarkable, since Egyptian custom always ordered guests by age.
Answer: False
This is false. The text records their astonishment at the arrangement (43:33), and nothing suggests it was a routine custom. The seating is one more clue, alongside the official's detailed questions and his unexpected hospitality, that this man knows their family intimately. Because Joseph knew exactly who they were while they had no idea who he was, he is able to arrange details that leave them bewildered.
- Genesis 43:33 (BSB)“They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.”The brothers are seated in exact birth order and look at one another in astonishment.
- Genesis 42:7-8 (BSB)“And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.”Joseph recognized his brothers, though they did not recognize him, which explains how he could seat them by age.
- Genesis 42:23 (BSB)“They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.”The brothers did not realize that Joseph understood them, another sign of how much more he knew than they suspected.
General
True or False: The steward brings Simeon out to the brothers and then gives them water for washing and feed for their animals.
Answer: True
This is true. The steward releases Simeon, who had been held in custody since the first journey, and returns him to his brothers (43:23). He then brings them into Joseph's house, provides water for washing their feet, and feeds their donkeys (43:24). The brothers use the time to lay out their gift, since they have heard they will eat there at midday (43:25). These are ordinary gestures of ancient hospitality, like those Abraham offered his visitors, and they contrast sharply with the brothers' fear of being enslaved.
- Genesis 43:23-25 (BSB)““It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys. Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.”Simeon is brought out, and the steward shows the brothers customary hospitality while they prepare their gift.
- Genesis 42:24 (BSB)“And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”Records Simeon being bound before the brothers on the first visit as a guarantee of their return.
- Genesis 18:4 (BSB)“Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.”Abraham's welcome of his visitors shows foot-washing water as a standard gesture of hospitality.
Theological
True or False: Simeon remains in custody throughout Genesis 43 and is released only after Joseph reveals himself in Genesis 45.
Answer: False
This is false. Simeon is brought out to his brothers by the steward while they are still at the doorway of Joseph's house (43:23), well before the meal. He had been tied up in front of them on the first visit as a guarantee they would return with Benjamin; now that Benjamin has come, the condition is met and Simeon is restored. The steward then provides the customary water and fodder, and the brothers set out their present before Joseph returns (43:24-25).
- Genesis 43:23-25 (BSB)““It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys. Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.”Simeon is brought out, and the steward shows the brothers customary hospitality while they prepare their gift.
- Genesis 42:24 (BSB)“And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.”Records Simeon being bound before the brothers on the first visit as a guarantee of their return.
- Genesis 18:4 (BSB)“Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.”Abraham's welcome of his visitors shows foot-washing water as a standard gesture of hospitality.
General
How does the steward respond when the brothers explain about the silver in Genesis 43:23?
Answer: He calms their fear, says their God and their father's God put treasure in their sacks, and assures them he received their payment
The steward calms them: all is well, they need not fear, the God whom both they and Jacob worship gave them the treasure in their sacks, and he himself had received their payment (43:23). Then he releases Simeon to them. The reader knows that Joseph ordered the silver returned, but the steward's words point beyond Joseph to God as the ultimate giver. Whatever the steward himself understood, his statement is true at a deeper level, since God is directing the whole sequence of events.
- Genesis 43:23 (BSB)““It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.”The steward reassures the brothers, credits their God with the treasure in their sacks, and brings Simeon out.
- Genesis 42:25 (BSB)“Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,”Shows that Joseph had ordered the silver returned, the human action behind what the steward credits to God.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”Affirms that God directs the steps of people even as they make their own plans.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”Teaches that even outcomes that seem to happen by chance are decided by the LORD.
Theological
The steward attributes the returned silver to the brothers' God in Genesis 43:23, though Joseph had ordered it returned. How do these two explanations relate?
Answer: Both are true: Joseph's order was the human means, while God was ultimately providing for the family through it
Genesis 42 records that Joseph commanded the silver to be put back in every brother's sack, yet the steward tells the brothers that the God whom both they and Jacob worship gave them treasure (43:23). These are not competing accounts. Joseph's instruction is the secondary cause, and God's provision stands behind it as the primary cause; Proverbs teaches that a man plans his course while God directs where he actually goes, and that even the lot falls as God decides. This pattern of God working through deliberate human action, including actions whose full meaning the people involved do not grasp, runs through the whole Joseph story and reaches its clearest statement in Genesis 45.
- Genesis 43:23 (BSB)““It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.”The steward reassures the brothers, credits their God with the treasure in their sacks, and brings Simeon out.
- Genesis 42:25 (BSB)“Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,”Shows that Joseph had ordered the silver returned, the human action behind what the steward credits to God.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”Affirms that God directs the steps of people even as they make their own plans.
- Proverbs 16:33 (BSB)“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”Teaches that even outcomes that seem to happen by chance are decided by the LORD.