Introduction
‘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.’ 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.’ 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.’ Genesis 43:1-14
JOSEPH’S BROTHERS’ SECOND VISIT TO EGYPT
The famine is still severe in the land, Genesis 43:1, and it appears Jacob’s sons didn’t return to Egypt straight away, which means that Simeon is still in prison in Egypt, Genesis 42:24. They waited until they had almost run out of food again, Genesis 43:2.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is not until Genesis 43:14, that Jacob decides to rely upon God, instead of his own devices and precautions. Until that time, he was centring his thoughts upon the dangers and difficulties, NOT the providence of God.’
Judah is the one who now speaks to his father concerning Benjamin and tells him he needs to send Benjamin to Egypt with them, Genesis 43:3-5 / Genesis 42:20.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Judah evidently took the lead and spoke for his brothers because Jacob had already refused Reuben, Genesis 42:37-38, Simeon was in Egypt, and Levi had previously forfeited his father’s confidence, Genesis 34. As Reuben had done. Genesis 42:37, Judah offered to bear responsibility in Jacob’s place, but in contrast to Reuben, Judah took personal responsibility for Benjamin’s safety, Genesis 43:9. From this point on, Judah becomes the leader of Jacob’s sons, Genesis 49:8-10 / Matthew 1:2 / Matthew 1:17 / Luke 3:23 / Luke 3:33.’
Please note when the words, ‘the man’ are being used in Genesis 43:1-14, they refer to Joseph. Israel now asks, why did they bring this trouble on him by telling the man, they had one more brother? Genesis 43:6. They tell him that the man questioned them thoroughly about themselves and their family and they asked if their father still alive? And then asked if they have another brother? Genesis 43:7. They answered honestly but didn’t know he would ask them to bring their brother to him? Genesis 43:7.
Judah puts his own life on the line, Genesis 43:8, after all, he did wrong to Joseph, Genesis 37:26-26, and he did wrong to Tamar, Genesis 38:1-26.
Judah himself pledges security for the boy, and he is willing to be held liable. If he doesn’t bring the boy back to Israel and place him here before him, he will bear the blame before Israel all his life, Genesis 43:9. Judah says if they hadn’t been delayed, they could have travelled there and back twice by now! Genesis 43:10.
Morris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘By this time, Judah seems to have taken over as spokesman for the brothers. Evidently, no one paid much attention to Reuben anymore. Simeon was in prison in Egypt; and Levi was also regarded with disfavour because of his association with Simeon, not merely in the slaughter of the Shechemites, but also, probably, in the sale of Joseph.’
It’s clear that Jacob and his family were feeling the effects of the famine because Jacob now decides it’s their only option. Jacob’s family would have had a good water supply from the many wells which they had dug, hence they had different kinds of fruit available to them, Genesis 43:11, but the problem was the lack of grain which they would have used not only to feed themselves but to feed their sheep and cattle. He’s prepared to send money, double the amount of money and gifts to Egypt, Genesis 43:12.
Morris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These brothers had sold their brother into Egypt for twenty pieces of silver; and now they were having to pay into the treasuries of Egypt, not merely twenty pieces of money, but twenty bundles of money. The words for ‘silver’ and ‘money’ are the same in the Hebrew.’
Jacob tells Judah to take his brother too, and go right away, Genesis 43:13, and then he asks his sovereign God, El Shadday, to show them mercy in order that the man may release their other brother and Benjamin! He says, if he is if bereaved, he is bereaved, meaning if he loses his children he loses them, Genesis 43:14.
‘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 a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.’ The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. 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. ‘We beg your pardon, our lord,’ 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.’ ‘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.’ Genesis 43:15-25
The men take the gifts, double the amount of silver, and Benjamin and then hurry to Egypt and stand before Joseph, Genesis 43:15. When Joseph’s brothers arrived with Benjamin, Joseph appears to know that there’s something different about their attitudes. His brothers also appear to know that’s there’s something different about Joseph, although they still don’t recognise him, they appear confused as to why a meal is being prepared, Genesis 43:16-17, which leads them to become afraid, especially concerning the silver they found in their sacks when they left Egypt after meeting Joseph the first time, Genesis 43:18 / Genesis 42:25.
They approach the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and speak to him, Genesis 43:19. The brothers go on to explain that their money had been placed in their sacks on the previous journey, Genesis 43:20-22, and Joseph’s servant told them not to be afraid because it was him who put the money in their sacks, Genesis 43:23.
Notice also that he says, ‘your God, the God of your father’, Genesis 43:23. It’s clear that Joseph must have been sharing his faith his with servants, for him to make that statement. The servant in charge then brings Simeon out to them, Genesis 43:23.
They are then taken into Joseph’s house where they were given water, had their feet washed and their donkeys fed, Genesis 43:24. The brothers get their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they heard they were to have a meal there, Genesis 43:25.
‘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 down, prostrating themselves before him. 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.’ 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.’ 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.’ Genesis 43:26-34
After presenting Joseph with the gifts, they bowed down before him, Genesis 43:26. This is now the second time they have bowed down to Joseph, Genesis 42:6, in fulfilment of his earlier dreams, Genesis 37:5-9. Joseph asks them how they were doing and asks if their aging father is well, is he still alive? Genesis 43:27.
They tell him that their father is well and still alive and notice, this is now the third time they have bowed down to Joseph, Genesis 43:8 / Genesis 43:26 / Genesis 42:6, in fulfilment of his earlier dreams, Genesis 37:5-9.
Joseph looks up and sees Benjamin, and asks if this this their youngest brother, whom they told him about? And then he says may God be gracious to you, my son, Genesis 43:9. Joseph recognised his brother Benjamin but to keep his pretence going, he asks his brothers anyway and is overcome with his emotions to such an extent that he runs out of the room to weep, Genesis 43:10, probably because he hasn’t seen his brother Benjamin in years. After washed his face, Joseph comes out and asks that the food be set out, Genesis 43:31.
Bush, in his commentary, says the following.
‘According to the prevailing custom of the East, the very fact that they had been invited to Joseph’s table was in itself an encouraging circumstance. Though the Orientals are for the most part a revengeful people, yet if you eat with them, you are thenceforward sure of having their protection. Even should you have done them the greatest injury, yet you need be under no apprehension from their resentment.’
Notice they set a place for him, and a separate place for his brothers, and another separate place for the Egyptians, Genesis 43:32. Remember the Egyptians saw the Hebrews as ‘unclean’ because they were shepherds, this is the reason why they wouldn’t eat with them.
It’s clear that Joseph’s brothers, who were seated in order of age, were astonished, Genesis 43:33, why? Simply because they were confused about what was happening. The last time they were in Egypt Joseph spoke to them harshly, Genesis 42:2, and had them thrown in prison for three days, Genesis 42:17-18, and now he’s providing a meal for them.
Joseph showed his love for Benjamin by giving him five times as much food as his other brothers were given, Genesis 43:34. He loved Benjamin because he was his brother who shared the same mother, Rachel, Genesis 30:22-24 / Genesis 35:18.