†. Gen 44:1-2 . .Then he instructed his house steward as follows: Fill
the men's bags with food, as much as they can carry, and put each
one's money in the mouth of his bag. Put my silver goblet in the
mouth of the bag of the youngest one, together with his money for
the rations. And he did as Joseph told him.
When the brothers threw Joseph into that pit back in chapter 37, they fully
intended to leave him there to die; all alone. So it makes sense that Joseph
would want to gauge their reaction to his kid brother Benjamin being placed
in a similar danger. Would they do to Benjamin what they had done to
Joseph; just leave him in Egypt to rot in a dungeon while they went back
home to comfort and safety?
†. Gen 44:3-5 . . As morning dawned, the men were sent on their
way with their burros. 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."
Divination cups were usually made out of silver and adorned with symbols,
spells, and religious phrases; and oftentimes the owner's name was
inscribed on it too. Diviners used their goblets in various ways. Some read
surface patterns when a few drops of one liquid (e.g. oil) was dripped into a
second liquid (e.g. water). Others divined by the movement of objects
floating upon, or sinking within, the goblet's contents. Others yet studied the
patterns that particles of gold formed when they settled to the bottom.
Divining cups were a kind of crystal ball for determining future events or
solving current mysteries. I would suspect that Joseph's divination cup was a
personal gift from his father-in-law Mr. Poti-phera; priest of On.
†. Gen 44:6-8 . .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?
The brothers' appeal to reason was of course a waste of righteous passion.
It's well known that kleptomaniacs suffer a persistent neurotic impulse to
steal without economic motive to do so. Booty to them is like blood to a
vampire; viz: just the sight of it excites. Every once in a while, a famous
celebrity gets caught shoplifting and we're all amazed that a millionaire
would stoop to such a petty crime.
†. Gen 44:9 . . 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' rash response evidences their complete confidence that there
is just no way on God's green earth that any of them would ever steal
anything at all; let alone from an Egyptian big shot's home. Many a poker
player has lost it all on just one hand with that kind of confidence.
Sometimes, you just can't tell what the other guy is holding; and in this
case, the situation is a stacked deck.
†. Gen 44:10 . .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.
Either the steward wasn't listening, or he was instructed to say just exactly
those words. They all volunteered to enslave themselves, but he'll settle on
just the one who allegedly took the goblet, and it's because Joseph wants to
gauge the elder brothers' reaction to his own kid brother's danger. If they
failed to prove themselves honorable men, then I really think Joseph
planned to harbor Benjamin and dispatch an escort for his father; but
permanently bar the brothers from ever returning to Egypt. They would just
have to make do on their own the best as they could till the famine was over
regardless of their blood kinship.
†. Gen 44:11-13 . . So each one hastened to lower his bag to the
ground, and each one opened his bag. He searched, beginning with
the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the goblet turned up in
Benjamin's bag. At this they rent their clothes. Each reloaded his
pack animal, and they returned to the city.
"they" didn't really have to go back; Joseph's steward had already pre
released them. But surprise of surprises; instead of leaving Benny to rot in
slavery like they had done to his big brother many years previously, they
accompany him back to Egypt.
This turn of events wasn't due to a sincere concern for Benny's safety. As it
turned out, the real concern was for their father Jacob and how he would
handle the loss of yet another of Rachel's babies.
†. Gen 44:14-17 . .When Judah and his brothers re-entered the
house of Joseph, who was still there, they threw themselves on the
ground before him. Joseph said to them: What is this deed that you
have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices
divination?
. . . Judah replied: What can we say to my lord? How can we plead,
how can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered the crime of
your servants. Here we are, then, slaves of my lord, the rest of us as
much as he in whose possession the goblet was found. But he
replied: Far be it from me to act thus! Only he in whose possession
the goblet was found shall be my slave; the rest of you go back in
peace to your father.
Surely Jacob wouldn't blame the older boys for the loss, since he was fully
aware of the risks involved when he sent his sons back to Egypt for food;
and the evidence against Benjamin made it appear he had no one to blame
but himself for getting into trouble. And this time, the men wouldn't have to
fake a death like they did Joseph's. It was a perfect situation; and I really
think Joseph fully expected them to take advantage of Benjamin's plight and
go back home without Joseph's brother; clapping themselves on the back for
their good fortune at ridding themselves of yet one more "favorite" sibling.
I can only imagine Joseph's surprise to see them all, to a man, including the
Terrible Trio-- Rueben, Simeon, and Levi --following his steward home with
their clothing ripped, and their heads hung low with fear and anxiety.
Then, as if that wasn't surprise enough; Judah steps forward and points the
blame, not at Benjamin, but at all eleven of their own selves; thus
demonstrating a degree of solidarity that I have no doubt Joseph had never
before seen among his prone-to-rivalry elder brothers. Instead of asking
how can Benjamin prove "his" innocence, Judah asks how can "we" prove
"our" innocence. So then, Benjamin's alleged guilt is the whole family's guilt,
rather than an individual matter; and in point of fact, it is a national matter
too because those twelve men (counting Joseph), as a unit, represented the
blossoming nation of Israel.
Cont.
/
the men's bags with food, as much as they can carry, and put each
one's money in the mouth of his bag. Put my silver goblet in the
mouth of the bag of the youngest one, together with his money for
the rations. And he did as Joseph told him.
When the brothers threw Joseph into that pit back in chapter 37, they fully
intended to leave him there to die; all alone. So it makes sense that Joseph
would want to gauge their reaction to his kid brother Benjamin being placed
in a similar danger. Would they do to Benjamin what they had done to
Joseph; just leave him in Egypt to rot in a dungeon while they went back
home to comfort and safety?
†. Gen 44:3-5 . . As morning dawned, the men were sent on their
way with their burros. 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."
Divination cups were usually made out of silver and adorned with symbols,
spells, and religious phrases; and oftentimes the owner's name was
inscribed on it too. Diviners used their goblets in various ways. Some read
surface patterns when a few drops of one liquid (e.g. oil) was dripped into a
second liquid (e.g. water). Others divined by the movement of objects
floating upon, or sinking within, the goblet's contents. Others yet studied the
patterns that particles of gold formed when they settled to the bottom.
Divining cups were a kind of crystal ball for determining future events or
solving current mysteries. I would suspect that Joseph's divination cup was a
personal gift from his father-in-law Mr. Poti-phera; priest of On.
†. Gen 44:6-8 . .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?
The brothers' appeal to reason was of course a waste of righteous passion.
It's well known that kleptomaniacs suffer a persistent neurotic impulse to
steal without economic motive to do so. Booty to them is like blood to a
vampire; viz: just the sight of it excites. Every once in a while, a famous
celebrity gets caught shoplifting and we're all amazed that a millionaire
would stoop to such a petty crime.
†. Gen 44:9 . . 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' rash response evidences their complete confidence that there
is just no way on God's green earth that any of them would ever steal
anything at all; let alone from an Egyptian big shot's home. Many a poker
player has lost it all on just one hand with that kind of confidence.
Sometimes, you just can't tell what the other guy is holding; and in this
case, the situation is a stacked deck.
†. Gen 44:10 . .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.
Either the steward wasn't listening, or he was instructed to say just exactly
those words. They all volunteered to enslave themselves, but he'll settle on
just the one who allegedly took the goblet, and it's because Joseph wants to
gauge the elder brothers' reaction to his own kid brother's danger. If they
failed to prove themselves honorable men, then I really think Joseph
planned to harbor Benjamin and dispatch an escort for his father; but
permanently bar the brothers from ever returning to Egypt. They would just
have to make do on their own the best as they could till the famine was over
regardless of their blood kinship.
†. Gen 44:11-13 . . So each one hastened to lower his bag to the
ground, and each one opened his bag. He searched, beginning with
the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the goblet turned up in
Benjamin's bag. At this they rent their clothes. Each reloaded his
pack animal, and they returned to the city.
"they" didn't really have to go back; Joseph's steward had already pre
released them. But surprise of surprises; instead of leaving Benny to rot in
slavery like they had done to his big brother many years previously, they
accompany him back to Egypt.
This turn of events wasn't due to a sincere concern for Benny's safety. As it
turned out, the real concern was for their father Jacob and how he would
handle the loss of yet another of Rachel's babies.
†. Gen 44:14-17 . .When Judah and his brothers re-entered the
house of Joseph, who was still there, they threw themselves on the
ground before him. Joseph said to them: What is this deed that you
have done? Do you not know that a man like me practices
divination?
. . . Judah replied: What can we say to my lord? How can we plead,
how can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered the crime of
your servants. Here we are, then, slaves of my lord, the rest of us as
much as he in whose possession the goblet was found. But he
replied: Far be it from me to act thus! Only he in whose possession
the goblet was found shall be my slave; the rest of you go back in
peace to your father.
Surely Jacob wouldn't blame the older boys for the loss, since he was fully
aware of the risks involved when he sent his sons back to Egypt for food;
and the evidence against Benjamin made it appear he had no one to blame
but himself for getting into trouble. And this time, the men wouldn't have to
fake a death like they did Joseph's. It was a perfect situation; and I really
think Joseph fully expected them to take advantage of Benjamin's plight and
go back home without Joseph's brother; clapping themselves on the back for
their good fortune at ridding themselves of yet one more "favorite" sibling.
I can only imagine Joseph's surprise to see them all, to a man, including the
Terrible Trio-- Rueben, Simeon, and Levi --following his steward home with
their clothing ripped, and their heads hung low with fear and anxiety.
Then, as if that wasn't surprise enough; Judah steps forward and points the
blame, not at Benjamin, but at all eleven of their own selves; thus
demonstrating a degree of solidarity that I have no doubt Joseph had never
before seen among his prone-to-rivalry elder brothers. Instead of asking
how can Benjamin prove "his" innocence, Judah asks how can "we" prove
"our" innocence. So then, Benjamin's alleged guilt is the whole family's guilt,
rather than an individual matter; and in point of fact, it is a national matter
too because those twelve men (counting Joseph), as a unit, represented the
blossoming nation of Israel.
Cont.
/
