Genesis 45:22

22 To each of them he gave a set of new clothes; but to Binyamin he gave seven-and-a-half pounds of silver and five sets of new clothes.

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F11 Odyss. 8.

Genesis 45:22 In-Context

20 Don't worry about your stuff, because everything good in the land of Egypt is yours.'"

21 The sons of Isra'el acted accordingly; and Yosef gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had ordered, and gave them provisions for their journey.

22 To each of them he gave a set of new clothes; but to Binyamin he gave seven-and-a-half pounds of silver and five sets of new clothes.

23 Likewise, to his father he sent ten donkeys loaded with the finest goods Egypt produced, as well as ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread and food for his father to eat on the return journey.

24 Thus he sent his brothers on their way, and they left; he said to them, "Don't quarrel among yourselves while you're traveling!"