Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 44
CHAP. XLIV.
Ver. 1. FIll the Mens Sacks with Food, as much as they can carry.] This ſeems to be an Order, to load them more liberally than at their firſt coming, XLII. 25.
Ver. 2. And put my Cup, &c.] The Hebrew word Gabiah ſignifies an emboſſed Cup, (as we now ſpeak) or a Bowl; or Goblet with a great Belly: Which St. Hierom tranſlates Scyphus. This he ordered his Steward to put in Benjamin's Sack, that he might make a trial of his Brethrens Concern for him, and Affection both to him and to their Father: And whether they would diſcover any Envy to Benjamin, becauſe of his extraordinary Kindneſs to him.
Ver. 3. The Men were ſent away.] Had a Paſs, we may ſuppoſe, from Joſeph; to carry ſo much Corn out of the Country, as their Aſſes were loaded withal.
Ver. 4. Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?] Being entertained ſo kindly at my Maſter's Table; why have ye ſtole his Cup?
Ver. 5. Is not this it, wherein my Lord drinketh?] Did you not think, this would be preſently enquired after?
And whereby indeed he divineth?] The Hebrew word Nachaſh, which we tranſlate Divine, it is very likely was anciently of an indifferent ſignification. And therefore Grotius thinks that Joſeph meant by this Speech, that he uſed this Cup in his Drink-Offerings; when he ſacrificed, to prepare himſelf to receive Divine Preſages. But, I think, we had better ſay, there was a kind of Divination by Cups (though we know not what it was) as we are certain there was by many other things among the Greeks, (who borrowed much of their Religion from the Egyptians) than give this or other ſuch like Interpretation of theſe words: Particularly, their obſerving the ſparkling of the Wine in their Libations. For it ſeems plain to me, that Joſeph ſpeaks of the Cup he uſed at his own Table: And it is not probable that he uſed the ſame in Sacrifices to God. Such Veſſels as were uſed in Divine Service, were not uſed in their own: Being held Sacred; and therefore ſeparated from common uſe; and kept ſo ſafe, no doubt, that it was not eaſie to ſteal them. He ſpeaks therefore of ſome Divination that was uſed at their Meals: Which doth not ſignifie that Joſeph practiſed it, nor doth his Steward ſay he did; but only asks ſuch a Queſtion, as might make them think he did. For, being a known Interpreter of Dreams; People, perhaps, thought he was skilled alſo in the Arts of Divination. But the words are ſtill capable of a more ſimple Interpretation. For Nacaſh ſometimes ſignifies no more, than to make an Experiment: As in the words of Laban, XXX. 27. And ſo the meaning may be, (as Aben Ezra expounds this Paſſage) might you not have conſidered, that my Maſter made a trial, (ſo we interpret in the Margin) by laying this in your way, whether you were honeſt Men, or Filchers, as you are now proved to be? Or, as others will have it, This is the Cup wherein he drinks himſelf, and finds out what is in other Men, when they drink liberally with him at his Table; as you lately did. But the former is more likely to be the meaning.
Ye have done evil, in ſo doing.] You have rendred your ſelves very criminal by this Fact. Or, you have done very fooliſhly in ſtealing a thing of this Nature: Which, being in continual uſe, would be ſoon miſſed.
Ver. 7. God forbid that thy Servants, &c.] They diſclaim the Charge, with the greateſt Vehemence.
Ver. 8. Behold, the money, &c.] And bring a very good Proof of their Honeſty.
Ver. 9. Both let him die, and we alſo, &c.] Sometimes Innocence makes Men too Confident; and leſs cautious than, in Prudence, they ought to be. For their Money having been put into their Sacks, they knew not how, it was reaſonable to have ſuſpected this alſo might prove true.
Ver. 10. Now alſo, let it be according to your word, &c.] I deſire not ſo much: But only that he with whom the Cup is found, be my Bond-man; as you propound.
My bond-man.] He ſpeaks in the Name and Place of his Maſter; by whom he was ſent after them; and for whom he acted.
Ver. 11. Then they ſpeedily took down, &c.] They were deſirous to have their Innocence cleared, without delay.
Ver. 13. Rent their Clothes.] As the manner was, when any ſad thing befel them, XXXVII. 29, 34.
Ver. 14. Judah and his Brethren came, &c.] He is mentioned by Name, though not the eldeſt Son; becauſe he was chiefly concerned for Benjamin, (XLIII. 9.) and, as the Jews fanſie, ſtood to him in this diſtreſs, when the reſt would have delivered him up as a Bond-man: Reſolving either to ſet him free, or to be a Bond-man with him.
For he was yet there.] Not gone from home, ſince he gave order to his Steward to purſue them.
They fell before him on the ground.] The Dream of Joſeph was again fulfilled. See XLII. 6.
Ver. 15. Wot ye not that ſuch a Man as I can certainly divine?] Could not I who foretold this grievous Famine, diſcover ſuch a Theft as this, which you have committed?
Ver. 16. And Judah ſaid.] He ſtanding bound, as I ſaid (verſe 14.) for Benjamin to his Father, took upon him to plead his Cauſe: Which Benjamin, being young, could not do ſo well himſelf. And indeed Judah ſeems to have been a Man of the beſt Senſe, Courage, and Eloquence among them.
What ſhall we ſay to my Lord? What ſhall we ſpeak? or how, &c.] A moſt pathetical beginning: And very apt to move Compaſſion.
God hath found out the iniquity of thy Servants, &c.] Having made ſome pauſe, after thoſe words, [How ſhall we clear our ſelves?] he proceeds to an ingenuous acknowledgment, that he and his Brethren had been guilty of many Sins; for which God had now brought them hither to ſuffer the Puniſhment of them. Yet, he neither confeſſes this particular Guilt, nor denies it, nor excuſes it: But acknowledging God's Juſtice, caſts himſelf and his Brethren upon Joſeph's Mercy.
Ver. 18. Then Judah came near to him.] The Equity which appeared in Joſeph (expreſſed in the words foregoing) emboldned Judah to approach nearer to him. For he ſeems to have ſpoken the former words, as ſoon as he entred the Room: When he and his Brethren caſt themſelves down on the Ground, verſe 14.
Speak a word in my Lord's Ears.] Have a favourable Audience for a few words more. For he doth not mean to ſpeak to him privately: And by a Word he means all the following Speech, which he makes as ſhort as it was poſſible.
And let not thy Anger burn againſt thy Servant.] And be pleaſed to hear me out, with Patience.
For thou art even as Pharaoh.] I know before whom I ſpeak: And therefore will not impertinently …ouble thee: But barely lay the ſtate of our Caſe before thee.
Ver. 20. A little one.] So Benjamin was, in compariſon with themſelves.
He alone is left of his Mother, &c.] We do not read, that they had ſaid this to Joſeph before; but only that the youngeſt was with their Father, XLII. 13, 32. But no doubt, Judah remembers him now of nothing, but what had been then delivered; but related more briefly than it is here.
Ver. 27. My Wife bare me two Sons.] He called Rachel his Wife; as if he had no other: Becauſe ſhe was the only Perſon he deſigned to marry; and was by conſequence his principal Wife.
Ver. 30. His life is bound up in the Lad's life.] It ſo depends upon the Life of this Son; that if he think he be dead, he will die with Grief alſo.
Ver. 33. Let thy Servant abide inſtead of the Lad, &c.] It will be the ſame to thee, (nay, I may be able to do thee more Service) and the greateſt act of Pity to our aged Father.
Ver. 34. For how ſhall I go up to my Father, &c.] I muſt abide here too, if thou wilt not diſmiſs him: For I am not able to ſee my Father die.
There is nothing could be ſaid more moving, than what is delivered in this Speech of Judah; which flowed, any one may ſee, from ſuch Natural Paſſions, as no Art can imitate. Which makes me wiſh that they who think theſe Hiſtorical Books of Scripture, were written with no other Spirit, but that with which honeſt Men now write the Hiſtory of their Country, or the Lives of any famous Perſons; would ſeriouſly read and conſider this Speech of Judah's to Joſeph; together with the foregoing Dialogue between Jacob and his Sons, (from the 29th Verſe of the XLII Chapter, to the 15th of the XLIII.) and, I hope, it may make them change their Opinion: And be of the Mind of Dr. Jackson, B. I. on the Creed, cap. 4. That ſeeing ſuch Paſſages are related by Men who affect no Art, and who lived long after the Parties that firſt uttered them; we cannot conceive how all Particulars could be ſo naturally and fully recorded; unleſs they had been ſuggeſted by his Spirit, who gives Mouth and Speech to Men. Who being alike preſent to all Succeſſions, is able to communicate the ſecret Thoughts of Fore-fathers to their Children; and put the very Words of the deceaſed (never regiſtred before) into the Mouths or Pens of their Succeſſors, for many Generations after: And that as exactly and diſtinctly as if they had been caught in Characters of Steel or Braſs, as they iſſued out of their Mouth. For it is plain, every Circumſtance is here related, with ſuch natural Specifications (as he ſpeaks) as if Moſes had heard them talk; and therefore could not have been thus repreſented to us, unleſs they had been written by his Direction, who knows all things; as well forepaſt, as preſent, or to come.
Philo juſtly admired this Speech, which he hath expreſſed in an Eloquent Paraphraſe: And Joſephus hath endeavoured to out-do him.