Gênesis 44
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Gênesis 44:1-5
44:1 This is the second time Joseph has done this (cf. Gen. 42:25). fill, BDB 569, KB 583, Piel IMPERATIVE put, BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERATIVE 44:2 The placing of Joseph's silver cup (cf. Gen. 44:5) in Benjamin's sack is new. Joseph is still testing his brothers to see if their jealousy and aggression against his full brother (i.e., Rachel's children) is finished. It should be noted that the term translated "cup" (BDB 149) is really a larger vessel, possibly a bowl or even a pitcher (cf. Jer. 35:5). The normal word for "cup" (BDB 468 I) is found in Gen. 40:11,13,21; 2 Sam. 12:3; Ps. 16:5; 23:5; Pro. 23:31. 44:4 "the city" Which city depends on who the Pharaoh is. Later in Genesis it seems that Joseph talks to his father in the land of Goshen and Pharaoh in the capital in the same day. This implies a capital in the delta region. The Hyksos had their capitals there. The next Pharaoh to move the capital to this region was Seti I. He was the Pharaoh of the brutal treatment of the Israelite people before the exodus. The exodus occured probably during Rameses II's reign. SPECIAL TOPIC: DATE OF THE EXODUS ▣ Joseph commands his servants to a follow-up action. up, BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERATIVE follow, BDB 922, KB 1191, Qal IMPERATIVE when you overtake them, BDB 673, KB 727, Hiphil PERFECT used in an IMPERATIVE sense with a temporal element. This is a hunting term for pursuing game. It was used of Laban chasing after Jacob (cf. Gen. 31:25). accuse them (with a question) of theft! ▣ "Why have you repaid evil for good" The LXX (followed by the NRSV, TEV, NEB) adds after this sentence, "Why have you stolen my silver cup?" The Peshitta does not have this addition. 44:5 "Is this not the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination" Throughout these three chapters Joseph has been developing a plot which would test his brothers' character. However, it is somewhat surprising to see him mention divination (BDB 638 I, KB 690 in an intensified grammatical construction of the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of the same root, cf. Gen. 44:15). This may be just another element of his Egyptian disguise, for most of the leaders of Egypt during this period would have been diviners or used them. The term originally meant "to whisper" or "to hiss" (cf. Lev. 19:26 and Deut. 18:10, where it is later condemned). In the Septuagint it is translated "augury" which means to know the will of God by observing a flight of birds. The Jerusalem Bible mentions in a footnote (p. 67) that the divination was done by the way water fell into the cup (hydromancy) the sound of the water falling into the cup the pattern of oil drops poured into the cup (lecanomancy) S. R. Driver adds another one: pieces of gold, silver, or precious stones were dropped into the cup and their distribution or arrangement was noted (cf. UBS, Handbook on Genesis, p. 989). Much of our information about divination techniques comes from old Babylonian omen texts (also note later techniques in Ezek. 21:21). There is not much information about divination methods in this period of Egyptian history (see James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible, pp. 52-54).
Gênesis 44:6-13
44:6-13 These verses are a dialogue between Joseph's steward (also note Gen. 43:16-25) and the ten brothers. 44:9 This response is very much like Jacob's when he was overtaken by Laban (cf. Gen. 31:32). It is an honest response and yet they will regret making these kinds of statements when the cup will be found in Benjamin's bag. 44:10 "Now let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent" This again seems to be the general plot of seeing if they will abandon Benjamin or if they will stick together as a family. It would have been quite easy to leave Benjamin behind (cf. Gen. 44:17) and to scurry away to safety (as they did with Simeon's imprisonment). The term translated "innocent" (BDB 667) is usually translated "blameless." The term is used in several ways. in a judicial sense, Exod. 23:7 referring to an oath, Gen. 24:41; Jos. 2:17,20 referring to a person, Job 4:7; 9:23; 17:8; 22:19,30; 27:17; Ps. 10:8; 15:5; Pro. 1:11 This statement by the steward foreshadows Joseph's statement in Gen. 44:17. 44:12 "beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest" This knowledge of the brothers' birth order had previously surprised them (cf. Gen. 43:33). Now the steward is also familiar with this information. This steward was a very close and trusted servant of Joseph. One only wonders how much of Joseph's life and faith he was familiar with. 44:13 "Then they tore their clothes" No words could express their shock! This is one of several signs of mourning in Jewish culture. SPECIAL TOPIS: GRIEVING RITES
Gênesis 44:14-17
44:15 This is a false statement. It is made to inject tension into the situation. Joseph did not divine their theft; he engineered it! 44:16 Judah is the group's spokesman. He asked Joseph several rhetorical questions. Judah is becoming the leader of the sons. What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we justify (BDB 842, KB 1003, Hithpael IMPERFECT) ourselves? Gen. 44:18 is also a question Gen. 44:19 is also a question Gen. 44:34 is also a question ▣ "God has found out the iniquity of your servants" Here again the theological aspects of the betrayal and selling of Joseph seems to have caused these guilt (BDB 730, cf. Gen. 4:13; 15:16; 19:15) feelings to have remained in his brothers all these years (cf. Gen. 42:21-22,28). However, the brothers seem to have truly changed for they are united in Benjamin's defense and Judah even uses a substitutionary option (cf. Gen. 44:18-34, esp. Gen. 44:32-33). This prayer is on the same level as the intercessory prayers of Abraham, Moses, and Paul. SPECIAL TOPIC: INTERCESSORY PRAYER 44:17 "Far be it from me to do this" This is an idiomatic expression of not doing something that would violate a religious obligation or fairness (cf. Gen. 18:25; Jos. 22:29; 24:16; 1 Sam. 2:30; 20:2,9; 22:15; 2 Sam. 20:20; 23:17). ▣ "go up in peace to your father" This command (BDB 748, KB 828, Qal IMPERATIVE) is obviously given to intensify the situation. The brothers could not return home without Benjamin because they were afraid Jacob would die (cf. Gen. 44:30-31). There seems to be no hope of peace!
Gênesis 44:18-34
44:18-34 Judah retells what has happened in the discussion about the brother's two trips to Egypt to buy food and the tensions at home about the second trip with Benjamin. 44:18 "in my lord's ears" This is an idiom for "may I speak clearly with you" (cf. Gen. 20:8; 23:10,13,16; 50:4; Deut. 5:1; 31:11,28,30). ▣ "do not be angry" Judah requests (BDB 354, KB 351, Qal JUSSIVE) Joseph not to become more angry (cf. Gen. 30:2; 39:19), but to let him explain their family situation in connection with this youngest brother. 44:28 "Surely he is torn in pieces" This is an intensified grammatical structure (INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and PERFECT VERB of the same root, BDB 382, 380), which is also found in Gen. 37:33. 44:30 "Now, therefore, when I come to your servant, my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life" This shows something of Jacob's doting on Benjamin. This concept of the life being bound up (BDB 905, KB 1153, Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE) is also used to describe the tremendous love and friendship between David and Jonathan in 1 Sam. 18:1. Jacob had been melancholy since the loss of Joseph and had taken comfort by focusing on the only other son of his favorite dead wife, Rachel. 44:33 This verse has two JUSSIVES. Judah is pleading for Benjamin's release and return. let your servant (i.e., Judah) remain (lit. "sit"), BDB 442, KB 444, Qal JUSSIVE let the lad go up with his brothers, BDB 748, KB 828, Qal JUSSIVE