“Genesis 43:26-34”

Monday, April 13, 2020

“When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, ‘Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?’ They said, ‘Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.’ They bowed down in homage. As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, ‘Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?’ And he said, ‘May God be gracious to you, my son.’ Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, ‘Serve the meal.’ So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him.” (verse 26) No mention is made of Joseph’s reaction to the gift of balm, honey, aromatic gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds (verse11), but the sight of the brothers bowed down before him in humble reverence must have rekindled the memories of the dreams that had inflamed them against him so many years before (Genesis 37:5-11). They “bowed themselves to him to the earth; in the most prostrate and humble manner, now again fulfilling his dream, and more completely than before, for now all his eleven brethren were together, signified by the eleven stars in the dream, that made obeisance to him, see Genesis 37:9.” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

“Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, ‘Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?’” (verse 27) After Joseph received their gift, he asked his brothers about their “welfare”. This is the Hebrew word “shalom” or “peace”. He wanted to know how they were faring during the harsh famine and how they were feeling after their long journey from Canaan to Egypt. When he asked them how their (his) father was getting along, it must have struck him that he should first verify that a man so advanced in years was even still alive. To his relief his brothers verified that Israel was alive and well and they “bowed down” again to him in a token of appreciation for his concern or as a gesture of gratitude to God for their aged father’s health and prosperity (verse 28).

“As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, ‘Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?’” (verse 29) Joseph had earlier caught sight of Benjamin from a distance (verse 16), but now in close quarters with his mother’s son he was taken aback by how much his youngest brother’s appearance had changed over the course of time. “Joseph’s question was one of surprise. Can this young man, now nearly thirty, be the little Benjamin, who was but a child of eight or nine when last I saw him!” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers) “May God be gracious to you, my son.” From a heart overflowing with fondness, Joseph wished upon his beloved brother God’s goodness and graces in all aspects of a prosperous life.

“Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.” (verse 30) The sight of his little brother all grown up and sturdy was all that Joseph’s overloaded emotions could endure. “The Hebrew idiom nikhmeru rahamav (lit. ‘his mercies were heated up’) occurs only in 1 Kings 3:26, where it means ‘to have compassion for.’ Here, however, Benjamin is not an object of pity. The sight of him arouses overwhelming feelings of tenderness and affection in Joseph. He can find relief only through tears.” (Nahum Sarna)

“Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, ‘Serve the meal.’” (verse 31) What a strange sight it must have been to see this high Egyptian official suddenly bolt out the room in mid-conversation, and we are left only to wander what the brothers’ reaction must have been. They were likely left in a state of surprise, concern and confusion. But eventually Joseph composed himself and returned to the dining room and said it was time to eat!

“So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians.” (verse 32) “Joseph eats alone undoubtedly because of his exalted status; but the segregation of the Hebrews was due to the Egyptian feeling of racial and religious superiority that engendered contempt for foreigners, who were regarded as unclean… It is…likely that Egyptian particularism asserted itself here because the Hebrews were shepherds—an abhorrent profession (46:34)—and because they ate sheep—an abomination to Egyptians (Exod. 8:26).” (Nahum Sarna)

“Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.” (verse 33) Joseph had the brothers seated at the table in order of their birth, from Reuben the oldest to Benjamin the youngest. Their “astonishment” was produced by their assumption that Joseph accurately divined the sequence of their ages without any prior knowledge of their family history. In consideration of Egyptian prejudices, they were probably equally as astonished by the fact that Joseph “took portions to them from his own table” (verse 34). He gave Benjamin five times more than the others “partly, because of his nearer relation and dearer affection to him; and partly, to observe whether this would raise that envy in them towards him, which was the occasion of their malicious enterprise against himself, that he might accordingly provide for his security.” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary)

Please Read Genesis 44:1-13 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

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