Genesis 44:1

Joseph Tests His Brothers

1 Then he commanded ¹the steward of his house, ²"Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack,

Genesis 44:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 44:1

And he commanded the steward of his house
Whom the Targum of Jonathan again calls Manasseh, the eldest son of Joseph: saying, fill the men's sacks [with] food, as much as they can carry;
this he ordered out of his great affection for them, and that his father and his family might have sufficient supply in this time of famine: and put every man's money in his sack's mouth;
not that which had been put into their sacks the first time, for the steward acknowledged his receipt of it, but what they had paid for their present corn, they were about to carry away.

Genesis 44:1 In-Context

1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack,

2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph told him.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.

4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"

Cross References

• 1. ver. 4; See Genesis 43:16
• 2. Genesis 42:25