Genesis 45:22

22 To each and all of them he gave ¹a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels^[a] of silver and ²five changes of 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Odyss. 8.

Genesis 45:22 In-Context

20 Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.

22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes.

23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey.

24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the way."

Cross References

• 1. [2 Kgs. 5:5, 22, 23]
• 2. [Genesis 43:34]

Footnotes

• [a]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams