The Return to Egypt with Benjamin
Now the famine was still severe in the land. Gen 12:10Act 7:11-13Ecc 9:1-2Gen 18:13Gen 41:54-57Gen 42:5Lam 5:10 So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” 1Ti 5:81Ti 6:6-8Gen 42:1-2Gen 43:20Gen 43:4Pro 15:16Pro 16:18Pro 31:16
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ Gen 44:23Gen 43:52Sa 14:242Sa 14:282Sa 14:322Sa 3:13Act 20:25Act 20:38 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’” Exo 20:12Gen 42:38Gen 44:26
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?” Gen 43:3Gen 42:13Gen 43:27
And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. Gen 42:2Deu 33:62Ki 7:132Ki 7:4Exo 20:12Ezr 8:21Gen 42:38Gen 44:26 I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life. Gen 42:37Gen 44:32-33Heb 7:22Phm 1:18-191Ki 1:21Ezk 3:18Ezk 3:20Ezk 33:6 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.” Gen 19:16
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. Gen 37:25Jer 8:221Sa 9:7Ezk 27:17Pro 18:161Ki 10:151Ki 10:251Ki 15:19 Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Gen 42:25Gen 42:351Th 4:61Th 5:212Co 8:21Heb 13:8Php 4:8Rom 12:17 Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once. Gen 42:38 May God Almighty 1grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” Est 4:16Gen 17:1Act 21:14Gen 22:14Neh 1:11Pro 16:7Act 7:10Gen 35:11
So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.” Gen 44:1Gen 43:191Sa 25:11Gen 15:2Gen 21:8Gen 24:2-10Gen 26:30Gen 31:54 The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.” Gen 42:35Deu 22:14Deu 22:17Gen 42:21Gen 42:28Isa 7:2Jdg 13:22Jdg 14:4
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. Gen 42:3Gen 42:10Gen 42:27Gen 42:35Gen 43:3Gen 43:7 But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. Gen 43:121Pe 2:121Pe 3:16Gen 42:27-35Gen 43:15Heb 13:18Heb 13:5Rom 12:17 We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. Gen 42:24Jhn 20:26Jhn 14:27Gen 42:28Jhn 20:19Jhn 20:21Luk 10:5Luk 24:36 And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys. Gen 18:4Gen 24:32Gen 19:2Luk 7:44Jhn 13:4-17
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon. Gen 43:11Gen 43:16 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him. Php 2:10-11Gen 27:29Gen 37:19-20Gen 42:6Gen 37:7-10Psa 72:9Rom 14:11Gen 43:28
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” Gen 42:131Ch 18:101Sa 17:221Sa 25:5Exo 18:7Gen 37:14Gen 41:16Gen 42:11
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him. Gen 37:7Gen 43:261Ki 1:162Ch 24:172Sa 1:22Sa 14:4Exo 18:7Gen 37:9-10
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” Gen 42:13Num 6:25Gen 30:22-241Ti 1:22Ch 29:11Gen 35:17-18Gen 42:11Gen 45:8
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. Gen 42:24Jer 31:201Ki 3:26Gen 45:14-15Gen 45:2Hos 11:8Jhn 11:33-38Php 1:8 Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.” Gen 45:11Pe 3:10Isa 42:14Jer 31:16
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them. Exo 8:26Gen 46:34Gen 31:54Gen 43:16 They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph. Gen 45:221Sa 1:52Sa 11:81Sa 9:22-24Ecc 10:19Ecc 9:7Hab 1:6Jhn 2:10