And Judah said, what shall we say unto my lord? what shall
we
speak?
&c.] Signifying that they were nonplussed, confounded, knew
not what to say; they could not acknowledge guilt, for they were
not conscious of any, and yet could not deny the fact, the cup
being found on one of them; and though they might have a
suspicion of fraud, yet were afraid to speak out what they
suspected, and therefore were at the utmost loss to express
themselves: or how shall we clear ourselves?
to assert their innocence signified nothing, here was full proof
against them, at least against their brother Benjamin: God
hath found the iniquity of thy servants;
brought it to their remembrance, fastened the guilt of it on
their consciences, and in his providence was bringing them to
just punishment for it; meaning not the iniquity of taking away
the cup, which they were not conscious of, but some other
iniquity of theirs they had heretofore been guilty of, and now
God was contending with them for it; particularly the iniquity of
selling Joseph; this was brought to their minds before, when in
distress, and now again, see ( Genesis
42:21 ) : behold, we [are] my lord's servants, both we,
and [he] also with whom
the cup is found;
hereby fulfilling his dream more manifestly than ever; for, by
bowing down to the earth to him, they might be thought to do no
other than what all did, that came to buy corn of him; but here
they own themselves to be his servants, and him to be lord over
them, and to have dominion over them all, and them to be his
slaves and bondmen.