Genesis 45:22

22 He gave each brother a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin five changes of clothes and about seven and one-half pounds of silver.

Genesis 45:22 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 45:22

To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment
Rich apparel, two suits of clothes, to shift and change upon occasion, such as Homer ^F11 calls (imatia exameiba) , "changeable garments"; those he gave to everyone of his brethren, partly that they might have something to show to their father and to their wives, which would cause them to give credit to the report they should give of Joseph, and his great prosperity; and partly that they might, upon their return, be provided with suitable apparel to appear before Pharaoh, and chiefly this was intended to show his great respect and affection for them, and reconciliation to them: but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver;
or shekels, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, which amounted to between thirty and forty pounds of our money; the Septuagint very wrongly renders it three hundred "pieces of gold"; and besides these he gave him also five changes of raiment;
because of his greater love and affection for him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Odyss. 8.

Genesis 45:22 In-Context

20 Tell them not to worry about bringing any of their things with them, because we will give them the best of what we have in Egypt."

21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as the king had ordered and food for their trip.

22 He gave each brother a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin five changes of clothes and about seven and one-half pounds of silver.

23 Joseph also sent his father ten donkeys loaded with the best things from Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food for his father on his trip back.

24 Then Joseph told his brothers to go. As they were leaving, he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way home."